Stage Melanoma Skin Cancer
Melanoma type of treatment depends on the stage of melanoma that you suffered. Staging system used by medical professionals to explain how far the development and spread of melanoma both in the skin and to other organs. Sequence stage melanoma is described as below:
- Stage 0: The melanoma is in the skin surface.
- Stage 1A: melanoma thickness of less than 1 mm.
- Stage 1B: melanoma thickness 1-2 mm or less than 1 mm but with damage or injury to the skin surface.
- Stage 2A: melanoma thickness 2-4 mm or 1-2 mm but with damage or injury to the skin surface.
- Stage 2B: melanoma thickness over 4 mm or 2-4mm with damaged skin surface.
- Stage 2C: melanoma thickness of more than 4 mm and the skin surface is damaged.
- Stage 3A: melanoma has spread to one to three lymph nodes nearby, but the nodes are not swollen. At this stage there is no damage to the skin and has not spread further.
- Stage 3B: the surface of the skin melanoma has been damage and melanoma has spread to one to three lymph nodes, but not enlarged. Melanoma or skin surface is not damaged and spread to one to three lymph nodes and node is enlarged. Or melanoma has spread to the small area of the skin or lymphatic channels, but not to the lymph nodes.
- Stage 3C: melanoma skin surface damage and has spread to one to three lymph nodes and enlarged. Or melanoma spread to four or more lymph nodes.
- Stage 4: The melanoma cells have spread to other areas of the body such as the lungs, brain, and other parts of the skin.
Stage 1 Melanoma Skin Cancer
To handle the first-stage melanoma, the plastic surgeon will perform surgery to remove the melanoma cells and a small portion of skin in the surrounding area.
Sometimes in the process of surgery, for some cases of melanoma will be general anesthesia, so you'll fall asleep or unconscious. But surgery for stage 1 melanoma generally done by local anesthesia. You will be awake, but the area around the melanoma will be numb and you will not feel the pain.
If the surgery leaves scars inconspicuous, you can choose a joint operation to graft skin. Skin grafting means taking some skin from other body parts, for grafted or attached to the surgery area.
Possibilities for melanoma that has been raised will be back very small so it's usually not necessary follow-up treatment after surgery.
Stage 2 and 3 Melanoma Skin Cancer
Handling is done the same as in stage 1, the area of the infected melanoma will be removed and if necessary to do skin grafting surgery. If the melanoma has spread to nearby lymph nodes, you may need further surgery to remove it. General anesthesia should be done for this operation.
The process of removal of lymph nodes containing the risks to your lymphatic system disorders. The effect can lead to accumulation of fluid in the body. In medical terms this is known as lymphedema. You are advised to stay consult a doctor about the recovery process and be aware of the signs of melanoma will come back.
Stage 4 Melanoma Skin Cancer
Melanoma stage 4 as the worst phase may be divided into two conditions:
Melanoma has spread throughout the body (metastasis) when first diagnosed.
Melanoma appears again in another part of your body after previous treatment.
In the above two conditions, most likely can not be cured. Handling is done only to slow the spread of cancer, reducing the symptoms experienced, and extend the life of the patient.
Surgery may be performed on melanoma that appeared far from melanoma cells first appeared. Meanwhile, to reduce the effects of the symptoms that occur, some treatments that can be done is radiotherapy and consumption of drugs.
Care and treatment that do usually have side effects that can affect your quality of life. If the results do not add much aged care or you do not feel the symptoms that cause pain or discomfort, you may refuse to do all the existing cancer treatments.
If you decide not to receive treatment, painkillers and special nurses may be provided if you need them. This is the kind of palliative care. All decisions in your hands.
Radiotherapy
To lift the lymph nodes after surgery and to relieve symptoms from advanced melanoma, radiotherapy treatments can be done. Radiotherapy applying controlled doses of radiation to kill cancer cells. The treatments are done at the hospital in a few daily sessions for 10-15 minutes at the weekend left to rest.
The side effects of radiotherapy include fatigue, nausea, loss of appetite, hair loss, and skin rashes. Consult the side effects experienced by your doctor. Doctors can give a drug to prevent or control these side effects. These side effects will be reduced gradually as live sessions that followed.
Drugs for Melanoma Chemotherapy
Treatment of melanoma that has spread to other body parts is to use chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is generally done to reduce the pain of the symptoms caused by melanoma at high stage. Chemotherapy uses drugs the use of anti-cancer or cytotoxins to kill the cancer.
Several types of medication can be used to treat melanoma. The specialist will discuss the drugs with you. There are many different types of chemotherapy drugs, can sometimes be combined. The most commonly used to treat melanoma is dacarbazine and temozolomide.
Patients who undergo chemotherapy do not need to stay at the hospital. Chemotherapy is given once every three or four weeks. Pause time given purpose so that your body has time to recover. Dacarbazine and temozolomide given intravenously administered in tablet form.
Chemotherapy has some side effects caused by the influence of drugs on the body's resistance. Most side effects can be prevented or controlled with medication prescribed by your doctor. The side effects of chemotherapy in whom infection, nausea and vomiting, fatigue, and canker sores.
Immunotherapy
The application of immunotherapy use drugs that have been derived from the elements present in the blood naturally. This treatment aims to stimulate the immune system to fight melanoma. Two drugs commonly used for melanoma are interferon-alpha and interleukin-2. Both drugs are given by injection into a blood vessel, under the skin, or into a blob melanoma. The side effects that often occur from the use of immunotherapy resemble the symptoms of flu, such as fever, high body temperature, joint pain, and fatigue.
Causes Melanoma Skin Cancer
Although almost all melanoma cases related to the impact of UV rays on the skin, the exact cause is still unknown.
Cancer can occur in any part of the body. The body is made of millions of different cell types. Cancer occurs when some cells to multiply abnormally. When cancer affects organs and tissues dense cells, it can cause growth called a tumor. It is still unclear why cells can multiply abnormally.
Cancer can grow and spread quickly, either in the skin, in the blood, or other parts of the body if left unchecked and untreated. Deployment typically occurs via the lymphatic system. If the cancer reaches the lymphatic system, the cancer can spread throughout the body including bone, blood, and other organs.
The lymphatic system is a series of lymph nodes scattered throughout the body and are related to each other as the circulatory system. Lymph nodes produce more cells are needed by the immune system. Lymph nodes are also known as lymph nodes.
Melanoma and Sunlight
Sunlight contains ultraviolet that can affect the skin. In most cases, melanoma is thought to be caused by sun exposure. But be aware that not all melanomas associated with ultraviolet light exposure, as it can still appear on the skin area that is rarely exposed to sunlight.
There are two main types of ultraviolet rays, the ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB). If prolonged exposure to UVA and UVB, the skin will be damaged and make it more susceptible to skin cancer (including melanoma).
Increased Risk
All of the following factors make your skin more sensitive to the adverse effects of sunlight. Factors that can increase the risk of melanoma are:
- Having many moles
- Having a lot of spots
- Pale skin flammable and skin is difficult to turn into black
- Age
- Have a condition that lowers the body's immune system, such as HIV
- Drugs that decrease the immune system (immunosuppression), this type of drug is usually consumed after undergoing organ transplantation
- There are family members who suffered from melanoma
- He Melanoma Skin Cancer Symptoms
Melanoma Skin Cancer Prevention
Exposure to sunlight helps the skin to make vitamin D naturally. But when it comes to skin cancer, the best prevention is to prevent the skin from direct exposure to sunlight. It is very important for people who have suffered from melanoma to help prevent the reappearance of skin cancer has been removed. Below are described some steps to avoid skin not exposed to sunlight.
Checking the condition Mole
Check the moles on your body if there are signs of melanoma. Consult your doctor if you see changes in the shape of moles or freckles on your body. If early diagnosis can be obtained, this will help in improving the way of successful treatment.
Avoid Sunlight When in Puncak hottest
At 11:00 to 13:00, the sun will be on top of the hottest. But at different times, the sun can still be very hot and have a damaging effect. In the hours, try to remain in the shade and cover yourself with the right clothes and wear sunscreen.
Dressed with True
If you work outdoors, and should be exposed to the sun for long periods of time, use clothes that protect you from the sun. Clothes are meant here, including long sleeves, a hat to protect the face and scalp, and sunglasses to protect your eyes.
Use Sunscreen
It is advisable to wear a sunscreen with an SPF (sun protection factor) of at least 15. Make sure the sunscreen is suitable for your skin type and can block ultraviolet radiation A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB). The use of sunscreen is recommended to do 15 minutes before sun exposure and applied again every two hours. If you want to spend time in the water, use a waterproof sunscreen and reapply regularly.
Before doing activities outdoors during the day, make sure your kids wear the right clothes and wear a hat and sunscreen with a high SPF. Try to pay more attention to the protection of infants and children because their skin is more sensitive than adult skin. If too much exposure to sunlight, skin cancer might arise when they grow up.
Keep your skin is not burned by the sun. If often happens, the skin had been exposed to ultraviolet radiation. The possibility of the emergence of cancer in the future will rise as the skin is exposed to radiation.
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