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Melanoma
Melanoma, also known as skin cancer, begins in the melanocytes. It may begin in a mole (skin melanoma), but can also begin in other pigmented tissues, such as in the eye or in the intestines. Melanocytes make the brown pigment called melanin, resulting in melanoma tumors that are often brown or black. A layer called the “basement membrane” separates the epidermis from the deeper layers of skin. The basement membrane is important because when a cancer becomes more advanced, it may grow through this barrier. Melanoma can start in various places, but typically starts on the trunk of fair-skinned men and on the lower legs of fair-skinned women. Having dark skin lowers the risk of melanoma; however, it does not mean that a person with dark skin cannot get melanoma.
Melanoma Treatment Options
Melanoma treatment options are determined by the type and stage of melanoma and include surgery, chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Surgery is the most common type of treatment for melanoma, but there are several types of chemotherapy that can be used to treat advanced melanoma. Chemotherapy may relieve symptoms or help people with advanced disease live longer. Recent studies have found that combining several drugs with multiple immunotherapy drugs works much better than using just one drug. Isolated limb perfusion is a type of chemotherapy sometimes used for treating melanomas on the arms or legs. This treatment separates the blood flow of the limb with cancer from the rest of the body for a short time. High doses of chemotherapy are then injected into an artery of the limb. This allows high doses to be given to the area of the tumor without exposing the whole body.
Melanoma and ChemoFx®
For melanoma patients receiving chemotherapy, whether as adjuvant chemotherapy, primary chemotherapy or combination chemotherapy, ChemoFx® can assist physicians in selecting personalized cancer treatment plans. Physicians can use ChemoFx® as a guide by testing multiple chemotherapy drugs on a patient's cancer cells before choosing one for their patient, giving patients a powerful advantage in their fight against cancer. For more information on ChemoFx® , visit http://www.chemofx.com.
Information for this webpage was gathered from the following websites:
http://www.cancer.gov
www.cancer.org
www.chemofx.com