Melanoma is a serious form of skin cancer caused by melanocytes, cells responsible for producing pigment. It usually occurs on the skin and, in rare cases, can occur in the eyes, intestines, or mouth. Read on to know the diagnosis and treatment options for melanoma.

How is it diagnosed?

• Family history

Melanoma or skin cancer can be hereditary. On consultation, the doctor will immediately inquire about your family’s medical history to check if the cause is hereditary.

• Questions about health

The doctor will ask questions about health conditions and ask you to undergo blood tests to check if there is an underlying disease causing melanoma.

• Physical exam

The doctor will conduct a physical exam, where they will check for any irregularities on the skin such as abscess, moles, or suspicious patch of skin potentially affected by melanoma.

• Biopsy

To further confirm diagnosis regarding irregularities on the skin, doctors will procure a sample from that area and send it to the laboratory for examination. On positive confirmation, doctors initiate the process of determining the stage of cancer. Staging the cancer is necessary to ensure the right treatment plan.

• Determining the thickness

The thickness of the identified mole is done through a special scale under a microscope. The thicker the mole, the advanced is the stage of cancer.

• Sentinel node biopsy

There is always a risk of melanoma spreading to the surrounding lymph nodes, and this is checked through a procedure called sentinel node biopsy.

• Scans

Scans such as CT scans, MRI, CAT, and PET are done to check the extent of the spread of melanoma to any other parts.

Treatment

• Surgery

If the melanoma is in the initial stages, surgery is done to remove the entire patch or skin affected by cancerous cells.

• Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy includes administering medicines that boost the immune system to fight cancer. Medicines can either be injected or administered as pills.

• Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is given to patients that are in advanced stages of melanoma. It is done in cycles, where medicines are administered intravenously, and help kill fast-spreading cancer cells. This treatment can last for months.

• Radiation Therapy

Here, high energy rays are used to kill cancer cells on the skin. It is used not only for removing melanoma at an early stage but also after surgery to prevent relapse.

Remember that the diagnosis and treatment options for melanoma vary as per symptoms shown by an individual. Moreover, early consultation gives one a higher chance of full recovery.