Malignant Melanoma Prognosis Is Good If Treated Promptly
Malignant melanoma prognosis is positive if treated early. Malignant melanoma is a type of skin cancer that develops from the neoplasm or cells of a melanocyte or common mole. The disease was once considered uncommon, but has increased dramatically in recent years. This probably occurs for two reasons. Today there are tools to detect the problem quickly so more cases are identified. And the fact is that many people get too much sun, which poses increased risk for all types of skin cancer.
The prognosis of malignant melanoma is quite positive with early detection and treatment. Surgery is the recommended treatment for early stage melanoma. A wide local incision is made in an attempt to completely excise the malignancy. At the same time a lymph node biopsy will be performed to see whether the cancer has spread. This procedure is going to leave a scar, but hopefully will eliminate the cancer.
A Positive Malignant Melanoma Prognosis Requires Vigilance
Vigilance is the key to positive results both before and after treatment. When you develop skin problems, you must try to identify the problem by consulting photographs on the Internet, to see if your blemishes look like a form of cancer. If they do, you must seek immediate medical attention for diagnosis and early treatment.
Once you have been treated for skin cancer, you know you are susceptible, so you cannot relax your guard. Aggressive, even obnoxious, attention to your skin’s condition should then become a part of your life. The melanoma can return and you need to catch it fast if it does.
What Metastatic Malignant Melanoma Prognosis Is?
A melanoma grows both radially and vertically. Radial growth means the lesion grows across the skin in a layer that is usually about 1 millimeter thick. In time, the cancer will start to spread downward into the deeper layers of skin. When this occurs, the cancer may metastasize or spread to other areas of the body such as the brain or lymph nodes. At this point treatment options become more complicated. Surgery is often still indicated, but the body must undergo chemical suppressive therapy at the same time. There are a number of chemicals that have been effective in suppressing cancer.
The prognosis for malignant melanoma is guarded. If the deeper growths have not spread, then chemotherapy can help fight a return of the cancer. Less than half of patients with deep melanomas or those that have spread to lymph nodes can expect long-term survival completely free of any recurrence of the disease. Those who have cancer that has spread to other organs and the brain must enter into a medical management of their condition. This will include aggressive chemo and possibly radiation treatment.
It is clear that the best defense against the most serious repercussions is early detection and treatment, while the malignant melanoma prognosis is very good. If you have a new skin blemish or a mole that changes, you should immediately investigate. Check out photos online to confirm you might have a melanoma or see a doctor right away.
