How can melanoma be treated?
How can melanoma be treated?
The main treatment for melanoma is surgical removal, or excision, of the primary melanoma on the skin. The extent of the surgery depends on the thickness of the melanoma. Most melanomas are found when they are less than 1.0 mm thick, and outpatient surgery is often the only treatment needed.
How is melanoma caused?
The exact cause of all melanomas isn’t clear, but exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from sunlight or tanning lamps and beds increases your risk of developing melanoma.
How long can you live after melanoma?
The overall average 5-year survival rate for all patients with melanoma is 92%. This means 92 of every 100 people diagnosed with melanoma will be alive in 5 years. In the very early stages the 5-year survival rate is 99%. Once melanoma has spread to the lymph nodes the 5-year survival rate is 63%.
Where does melanoma spread to first?
Normally, the first place a melanoma tumor metastasizes to is the lymph nodes, by literally draining melanoma cells into the lymphatic fluid, which carries the melanoma cells through the lymphatic channels to the nearest lymph node basin.
What happens after melanoma is removed?
When cancer cells are found in the removed lymph node, the stage of the cancer changes. This is called restaging. Because cancer is found deeper than the skin, more surgery may be needed. Also, another treatment that can kill the cancer cells may be added to your treatment plan.
How does melanoma make you feel?
Hard lumps may appear in your skin. You may lose your breath, have chest pain or noisy breathing or have a cough that won’t go away. You may feel pain in your liver (the right side of your stomach) Your bones may feel achy.
How long can you live with a melanoma?
How serious is myeloma cancer?
Myeloma is a cancer that affects cells in the bone marrow, called plasma cells. As the cancerous plasma cells fill the bone marrow, you are not able to make enough normal blood cells. This can lead to anaemia, bleeding problems and infections.
What is the life expectancy of a person with multiple myeloma?
The life expectancy for someone with multiple myeloma depends on the stage of the disease when diagnosed, according to the American Cancer Society. Stage I patients have a median survival rate of 62 months. Stage II patients have a life expectancy of 44 months, and stage III is 29 months.
What happens if multiple myeloma is left untreated?
Multiple myeloma, if left untreated, can lead to serious complications: Kidney failure. Bone fractures. High levels of calcium in the blood. Increased risk of infection, especially in the lungs. Weakness or loss of movement if a tumor presses on the spinal cord.
How long a person can live with multiple myeloma?
Multiple myeloma is a very diverse disease and its survival ranges from 1-10 years; however, the median survival is 3 years in unselected patients. The 5-year survival rate of a person with multiple myeloma is 46.6%.
