Category: melanoma

If you’ve been diagnosed with melanoma of the skin, the most dangerous type of skin cancer, treatment will depend in large part on how advanced the cancer is. The process typically begins (and for the most fortunate patients, ends) with surgical removal of the tumor. This procedure generally takes place at the doctor’s office under… Continue reading Treating Melanoma: Patient Options Have Gotten Significantly Better

Recognizing the early signs of melanoma — and getting yourself to a doctor as soon as possible if you see anything suspicious — is vital. That’s because the earlier the diagnosis, the better the prognosis. For melanoma treated early, before it has time to spread, the five-year survival rate is over 99 percent. Once the cancer… Continue reading Early Detection of Melanoma: Know the Signs and Symptoms

A landmark study on treatment for metastatic melanoma indicates that 52 percent of patients taking a combination of two immunotherapy drugs survived at least five years. The research was presented September 28 at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2019, in Barcelona, Spain, and published simultaneously in the New England Journal of Medicine.… Continue reading Study Shows That Immunotherapy Combination Extends Melanoma Survival

Once a doctor identifies melanoma, the next, critical step is staging it — determining its severity. Doctors rely on a variety of methods and tools to accomplish this. These generally include biopsy (removing skin, lymph-node samples, or other tissues and sending them to a pathology lab to be examined under a microscope); or, for more… Continue reading Stages of Melanoma Skin Cancer

There is no 100 percent effective way to prevent melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer, but there’s a lot you can do to lower your risk. Most strategies aimed at preventing melanoma are geared toward reducing sun exposure and preventing sunburns and the damage they cause. People who are already at higher risk… Continue reading Preventing Melanoma: Reducing Sun Exposure and Damage Is Key

Metastatic melanoma is an advanced form of melanoma, the most dangerous type of skin cancer. Melanoma begins in skin cells called melanocytes. Melanocytes make a pigment called melanin, which protects skin from the sun. They also produce moles, which are usually harmless but occasionally can become cancerous. A melanoma can look like a mole. It… Continue reading Metastatic Melanoma: Symptoms, Stages, Treatment

A new clinical trial has found that the order in which cancer treatments are administered can be the difference between life and death in people with advanced melanoma. The study, published September 27 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, found a clear benefit for those who received immunotherapy before targeted therapy to treat their skin… Continue reading Immunotherapy Given Before Target Therapy Improves Advanced Melanoma Survival Rates

Melanoma can develop anywhere in the body with melanocytes, the cells that produce pigment. There are four main types of melanoma of the skin (called cutaneous melanoma), based on their location and their appearance under a microscope. These include a rare but especially dangerous kind that typically affects African-Americans and other people of color. Three… Continue reading Types of Melanoma

The renowned ESPN television reporter Holly Rowe is eager to discuss an arena of her expertise beyond sports: melanoma. Rowe was diagnosed with a stage 3 desmoplastic melanoma, a rare form of melanoma that originates in the nerves, in 2015, after she had a suspicious spot on her chest biopsied. At the time, she thought… Continue reading ESPN Sports Reporter Holly Rowe Shares What It's Like to Live With Advanced Melanoma

Eating higher amounts of fish, including tuna and non-fried fish, may be connected to a higher risk of developing malignant melanoma, according to a new study. The research, published on June 9 in Cancer Causes & Control, followed nearly a half-million people over an average of 15 years and found that higher total fish intake… Continue reading Could Eating Too Much Fish Raise Your Risk of Developing Melanoma?