what questions should a patient as before discussing treatment for melanoma

• Do I have melanoma?
• How large is my melanoma?
• How deep is my melanoma?
• Has my melanoma spread beyond the area of skin where it was first discovered?
• What additional tests do I need?
• What are my treatment options?
• Can any treatment cure my melanoma?
• What are the potential side effects of each treatment option?
Is there one treatment you feel is best for me?
How long can I take to decide on a treatment option?
Should I see a specialist? What will that cost, and will my insurance cover it?
Are there any brochures or other printed material that I can take with me? What websites do you recommend?
What will determine whether I should plan for a follow-up visit?

Full Answer

How do you diagnose melanoma?

When skin cancer is detected early, there is a good chance of recovery. Fraunhofer researchers have developed a digital solution to speed up diagnosis significantly. A mobile application assists in recording skin lesions and sends these to dermatology departments in hospitals.

How is melanoma treated at each stage?

Treating recurrent melanoma

• Local recurrence. Melanoma might come back in the skin near the site of the original tumor, sometimes even in the scar from the surgery.
• In-transit recurrence. ...
• Recurrence in nearby lymph nodes. ...
• Recurrence in other parts of the body. ...

How do they treat melanoma?

• Treatment overview. ...
• Surgery. ...
• Radiation therapy. ...
• Other local treatments. ...
• Therapies using medication. ...
• Physical, emotional, and social effects of cancer. ...
• Metastatic or advanced skin cancer. ...
• Remission and the chance of recurrence. ...

What are the different levels of melanoma?

• Up to 1mm thick is called ‘thin’
• 1-4 mm thick melanoma is called intermediate thickness
• Over 4mm in thickness is called a ‘thick’ melanoma

What questions should I ask about melanoma?

Questions to Ask After Being Diagnosed With MelanomaWhat type or subtype of melanoma do I have?What stage is my melanoma?How did you determine that?What is the depth of the melanoma in millimeters?Is the melanoma ulcerated?Is it likely that the melanoma has spread? ... What is my prognosis?More items...

What information should be provided to a patient about how do you prevent melanoma?

The most important way to lower your risk of melanoma is to protect yourself from exposure to UV rays. Practice sun safety when you are outdoors....Limit your exposure to ultraviolet (UV) raysSlip on a shirt.Slop on sunscreen.Slap on a hat.Wrap on sunglasses to protect the eyes and sensitive skin around them.

What questions should I ask about skin cancer?

Questions to Ask About Your Basal or Squamous Cell Skin CancerWhat type of skin cancer do I have?Can you explain the different types of skin cancer?Has the cancer grown deeply into the skin? ... Do I need any other tests before we can decide on treatment?Do we need to determine the stage of the cancer?More items...•

When educating a patient about the risks of malignant melanoma What would you know to include?

You may reduce your risk of melanoma by protecting yourself from excess sun and sunburns.Avoid sun and seek shade, especially between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.Don't use tanning beds. ... Whenever possible, wear hats with brims, sunglasses, long-sleeved shirts and pants.More items...

What are 9 prevention guidelines for melanoma?

Tips to Reduce Your Risk for Melanoma:Never Intentionally Expose Your Skin to the Sun. There is no such thing as a 'healthy' tan.Wear Sunscreen. Make sunscreen a daily habit. ... Wear Protective Clothing. ... Avoid Peak Rays. ... Don't Use Tanning Beds. ... Protect Children.

What are the risk factors for melanoma?

Factors that may increase your risk of melanoma include:Fair skin. ... A history of sunburn. ... Excessive ultraviolet (UV) light exposure. ... Living closer to the equator or at a higher elevation. ... Having many moles or unusual moles. ... A family history of melanoma. ... Weakened immune system.

What is the most common treatment for skin cancer?

Surgery is the primary treatment for most skin cancers. For patients with basal cell or squamous cell carcinomas, a dermatologist or other qualified doctor may perform an outpatient procedure using a local anesthetic.

When should you see an oncologist for skin cancer?

You may need to see an oncologist if you have an advanced or high-risk type of skin cancer. There are different subtypes of oncologists, including: Dermatological oncologist This is an oncologist who specializes in diagnosing and treating skin cancer.

What should I ask my dermatologist about moles?

You can ask questions such as:What moles look suspicious?How do you determine a suspicious mole?What's the difference between a freckle and a mole?Are there any growths I should monitor moving forward?What else can I be doing to protect my skin?Am I at a high risk for skin cancer?

What should a nurse look for when inspecting a patient's skin signs of melanoma?

What should I look for?A new, expanding, or changing growth, spot, or bump on the skin.A sore that bleeds and/or doesn't heal after several weeks.A rough or scaly red patch, which might crust or bleed.A wart-like growth.A mole (or other spot on the skin) that's new or changing in size, shape, or color.More items...•

What is the protocol for melanoma?

Surgical excision with histologically negative margins is the recommended and first-line treatment for primary cutaneous melanoma of any thickness, as well as for melanoma in situ. Surgical margins should be based on tumor thickness. Depth of excision is recommended to (but not including) the fascia.

Which of the following is an indication of melanoma?

The most important warning sign of melanoma is a new spot on the skin or a spot that is changing in size, shape, or color. Another important sign is a spot that looks different from all of the other spots on your skin (known as the ugly duckling sign).

What you should know about melanoma?

Melanoma is an aggressive form of skin cancer. Below are some common questions and answers about the basics of the disease, its symptoms, preventio...

What causes melanoma?

Melanoma develops when damaged melanocyte cells grow uncontrollably.Melanocytes are found mostly along the bottom of the epidermis, the outer layer...

What are the signs and symptoms of melanoma?

It may be difficult to tell if a spot or growth on the skin is a mole, a benign growth, non-melanoma skin cancer or melanoma. Like most skin cancer...

How can I tell the difference between melanoma and other forms of skin cancer?

The ABCDE method may help you determine if an abnormal growth on your skin may be melanoma.Asymmetry: The mole has an irregular shape.Border: The e...

Can I reduce my risk of getting melanoma?

Exposure to UV radiation is the primary cause of cell damage that may lead to skin cancer, including melanoma. Most of the UV light that reaches th...

How do I examine myself for skin cancer?

Take the time once a month to examine your body, literally from head to toe. It helps if you have a large or full-length mirror and a hand-held mir...

What are my melanoma treatment options?

Surgery to treat localized melanoma may require a wide excision and the removal of lymph nodes. In a wide excision, a surgeon will remove a large p...

What side effects can I expect from my treatment?

Surgical procedures for melanoma may be painful and cause swelling, bruising and/or nerve damage. Surgery to remove lymph nodes may result in swell...

What types of doctors will I see during my treatment for melanoma?

Depending on your stage of melanoma, your care team may include a number of physicians, including one or all of the doctors below:A dermatologist t...

Should I think about taking part in a clinical trial?

Clinical trials are research studies designed to determine if new treatments are safe and effective, or whether they are more appropriate for some...

Melanoma: Questions to Ask the Health Care Team

ON THIS PAGE: You will find some questions to ask your doctor or other members of the health care team to help you better understand your diagnosis, treatment plan, and overall care. Use the menu to see other pages.

Questions to ask about stage IV melanoma

Where has the melanoma spread? Do I need a brain scan or PET-CT scan to find where it has spread?

Questions to ask about planning follow-up care

What is the chance that the cancer will come back? Should I watch for specific signs or symptoms?

How is melanoma diagnosed?

Some melanomas are diagnosed during regular skin screenings. Others are found after patients notice a swollen lymph node in their neck, armpit, or groin. And in a few patients, melanoma is discovered entirely by chance, during a scan that was ordered for another medical reason.

What is the treatment for advanced melanoma?

Other approaches for treating advanced melanoma include injecting an oncolytic virus called talimogene laherparepvec (T-VEC) directly into the tumor.

What is the best treatment for melanoma with BRAF mutation?

There are also three FDA-approved oral targeted therapy drug combinations for melanoma patients with a BRAF mutation: vemurafenib and cobimetinib, dabrafenib and trametinib, and encorafenib and binimetinib.

What is the most common type of melanomas?

The vast majority of cases occur in the skin and are called cutaneous melanomas. These can be further subdivided into four major types. The most common one is superficial spreading, followed by nodular melanoma. Other cutaneous melanomas include lentigo maligna and acral lentiginous.

What is the name of the skin cancer that occurs in the skin of the brain?

Desmoplastic melanoma is another distinct subtype that occurs in skin regions with chronic sun exposure. Other very rare subtypes include primary central nervous system melanoma, which occurs in the leptomeninges (the lining of the brain and spinal cord) and melanoma of soft parts (also known as clear cell sarcoma), which arises in the dermal layer of the skin and other soft tissues.

What is the name of the cancer that occurs in melanocytes?

Melanoma is a type of skin cancer that occurs in melanocytes, the cells that carry pigment.

Where do melanomas develop?

But melanomas can also develop in melanocytes located in other areas, including the eye ( uve al and conjuncti val melanomas) and mucosal surfaces throughout the body ( mucosal melanoma ), such as the gastrointestinal tract.

How to cope with melanoma?

Here are some ideas to help you cope: Learn enough about melanoma to make decisions about your care. Ask your doctor about your cancer, including your treatment options and, if you like, your prognosis. As you learn more about cancer, you may become more confident in making treatment decisions. Keep friends and family close.

How to treat early stage melanoma?

Treatment for early-stage melanomas usually includes surgery to remove the melanoma. A very thin melanoma may be removed entirely during the biopsy and require no further treatment. Otherwise, your surgeon will remove the cancer as well as a border of normal skin and a layer of tissue beneath the skin.

How to treat melanoma that has spread beyond the skin?

Treating melanomas that have spread beyond the skin. If melanoma has spread beyond the skin, treatment options may include: Surgery to remove affected lymph nodes. If melanoma has spread to nearby lymph nodes, your surgeon may remove the affected nodes.

What is the procedure to remove melanoma from lymph nodes?

If there's a risk that the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes, your doctor may recommend a procedure known as a sentinel node biopsy. During a sentinel node biopsy, a dye is injected in the area where your melanoma was removed. The dye flows to the nearby lymph nodes.

What is the stage of melanoma?

Melanoma is staged using the Roman numerals 0 through IV. At stage 0 and stage I, a melanoma is small and has a very successful treatment rate. But the higher the numeral, the lower the chances of a full recovery. By stage IV, the cancer has spread beyond your skin to other organs, such as your lungs or liver.

How to assign stage to melanoma?

To assign a stage to your melanoma, your doctor will: Determine the thickness. The thickness of a melanoma is determined by carefully examining the melanoma under a microscope and measuring it with a special tool. The thickness of a melanoma helps doctors decide on a treatment plan.

When is targeted therapy recommended for melanoma?

For melanoma, targeted therapy might be recommended if the cancer has spread to your lymph nodes or to other areas of your body.

How to get a second opinion on cancer?

Getting a second opinion allows you to become more informed about the cancer and your treatment options and can also provide reassurance. If two experts in the treatment of the type of cancer you have agree on a treatment plan, it may help you feel more comfortable with your treatment choice. And if the experts disagree, it opens the door for additional discussion and a deeper understanding of the available options. You can then choose the treatment plan that you are most comfortable with and receive the care from the doctor who offered it.

What is the stage of cancer?

The stage of the cancer captures information about the size and the extent of spread of the cancer.1 For many types of cancer, stage is assessed using a TNM staging system. This assesses the size of the primary tumor (T) and the extent to which it invades nearby tissues; the spread of cancer to the lymph nodes (N); and metastasis (M) of the cancer to distant sites in the body. Stage may range from 0 to IV, with a higher stage indicating larger or more extensive cancer. Cancers that have a different staging system or a different way of being described include many of the hematologic (blood) cancers and cancers of the brain and the spinal cord. Your doctor can help you understand the important features of a particular cancer. Stage can guide treatment decisions in many ways: it may help the doctor decide whether the cancer can be surgically removed, for example, and whether whole-body therapies such as chemotherapy are necessary.

What is clinical trial?

A clinical trial is a research study designed to evaluate potential new treatment options. Clinical trials test the safety and the efficacy of new or modified cancer drugs, new drug doses, unique approaches to surgery or radiation therapy, and varied combinations of treatments. In the United States, all new cancer treatment products must proceed through an orderly clinical trials evaluation process to ensure that they have an acceptable level of safety and demonstrate benefit to helping patients with a specific cancer before they become commercially available to other patients.

Can you bring a friend to a cancer appointment?

Bringing along a friend or family member to your appointments can be very helpful. If you assemble a list of questions for your healthcare team prior to an appointment, your support person can ensure that the questions are asked and answered and can help you keep track of any new information your healthcare team provides. Family members or close friends may also be able to help you explore and manage the financial and insurance implications of a cancer diagnosis.

What is the treatment for melanoma?

Surgery is a common treatment for melanoma. The type of surgery your team recommends is determined by the size of the tumor and other factors.

What is the best doctor for melanomas?

Surgeon. Also known as a surgical oncologist, your cancer surgeon specializes in surgical procedures to treat more progressed melanomas. Surgical oncologists can perform biopsies (taking tiny samples of tissue) to test for cancer and confirm a diagnosis. They help you choose the best type of surgery for your care.

What type of doctor treats skin cancer?

Dermatologists in Stanford’s Melanoma Program have years of training and experience in cancer care. Cutaneous oncologists are dermatologists who specialize in skin cancer diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing surveillance. Dermatologic surgeons treat early melanomas, which are most likely to be cured following surgical removal.

What kind of doctor is used to diagnose cancer?

Pathologist. Working closely with your oncologist, your pathologist performs and reads laboratory tests to determine the type and stage of cancer present. These doctors have special training to detect and diagnose cancer. They use a microscope to examine tissue samples taken during a biopsy.

What type of doctor removes tumors?

Potential options include traditional (open) approaches or minimally invasive techniques to remove tumors and surrounding tissue. Anesthesiologist. An anesthesiologist is a doctor who specializes in using medications to block pain during surgery.

What to do after a wound is closed?

After the wound is closed, the surgery team will provide you and your family with instructions on how to care for the wound, achieve the best results, and what to expect as the area heals.

What to expect at your first breast cancer appointment?

At your first appointment, you will meet the team who will take care of you throughout your treatment. During this visit, your doctor will discuss your medical history with you in detail, perform a physical examination, and discuss possible treatment options. During your first visit, we will share some important information about breast cancer and your treatment options.

When You’Re Told You Have Melanoma

When Deciding on A Treatment Plan

During Treatment

• Once treatment begins, you’ll need to know what to expect and what to look for. Not all of these questions may apply to you, but getting answers to the ones that do may be helpful. 1. How will we know if the treatment is working? 2. Is there anything I can do to help manage side effects? 3. What symptoms or side effects should I tell you about righ...

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After Treatment