Melanoma Adjuvent Treatments

Melanoma that has metastasized to other areas of the body will not be controlled by surgery. New tumors can be removed, but the adjuvant therapy is what will help to aid in keeping the patient comfortable.

Melanoma that is considered clinically confined to the skin or lymph nodes would require adjuvant melanoma therapy in order to reduce the cancer spreading after surgery. Common forms of adjuvant therapy are radiation, chemotherapy and immunotherapy.

Radiation

Radiation therapy consists of high-energy rays that are concentrated on the affected area of the body in order to kill malignant cells. This adjuvant therapy is utilized to bring relief to patients that are suffering when the melanoma has spread to the bones or the brain. When this stage is reached, the treatment is unable to cure the cancer, but in conjunction with other adjuvant therapies it can help normal cells to repair themselves. Radiation therapy is administered in small doses and generally given over a period of two to eight weeks, five days per week.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is an adjuvant therapy used to stop the growth of malignant cells. This medicinal therapy has a two-fold purpose, it prevents the malignant cells from dividing, along with completely destroying them. In the case of melanoma, the medication is administered either intravenously or orally. Once in the bloodstream, the medication unfortunately attacks both normal and cancerous cells. This is what produces the nausea and hair loss commonly associated with patients receiving chemotherapy. Unlike radiation, chemotherapy is usually given in a cyclical fashion with periods of treatment followed by periods of recovery. The upside is that the side effects of the drugs will generally disappear when the therapy ends. It is considered more effective if several different chemotherapy medications are combined for each treatment cycle. A combination of immunotherapy and chemotherapy treatments enhances the chances of positive results.

Immunotherapy

This form of treatment is known as “biotherapy” which is a use of the patient's immune system to destroy the malignant cells either directly or indirectly. The positives of this therapy is that it builds that patient's own defenses to fight the cancer cells. There are a number of different types of immunotherapy utilized in the treatment of advanced melanoma. Also, research has shown that immunotherapy can aid in lessening the side effects of the other adjuvant therapies. Cytokine, Vaccine and Monoclonal antibody are three of the different types of therapy that can be used.

Palliative Care

Palliative care is not used to cure the cancer, but to relieve the adverse symptoms and the quality of life for the patient. Anti-nausea medication to relieve the affects of chemotherapy would be considered palliative care. Pain medication to aid in the relief of the effects of radiation would also be considered palliative care.