The cancerous skin cells and some normal tissue that surrounds the cancer will need to be surgically removed. How much normal tissue is removed depends mostly on how deep the melanoma has grown.

If the cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes, these lymph nodes may also need to be removed. Treatment with interferon after surgery may be useful for these patients.

For patients with melanoma that has spread beyond the skin and nearby lymph nodes to other organs, treatment is more difficult. At this point, melanoma is usually not curable. Treatment is usually directed at shrinking the tumor and improving symptoms:

• Chemotherapy is often used to treat melanoma that has returned or spread.
• Medications such as interferon or interleukin, which boost the immune system to fight the cancer, may be useful in addition to chemotherapy and surgery. This kind of treatment is called immunotherapy. However, interferon has many side effects and can be difficult to tolerate.
• Radiation treatments may be used to relieve pain or discomfort caused by cancer that has spread.
• Cancer that has spread elsewhere in the body is sometimes removed with surgery to relieve pain or discomfort.

Patients with high-risk melanomas may consider enrolling in clinical trials. These are research studies of new medications or other treatments.

For additional resources, see cancer support group.

Treatment success depends on many factors, including the patient's general health and whether the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes or other organs.

If caught early, some melanomas can be cured. Deeper tumors are more likely to come back. If the skin cancer is deeper than 4 mm or the lymph nodes have cancer, there is a high risk of the cancer spreading to other tissues and organs. If the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes, there is a greater chance that the melanoma will come back.

For patients with melanoma that has spread beyond the skin and nearby lymph nodes to other organs, treatment is more difficult. At this point, melanoma is usually not curable.

Complications of melanoma include the following:

• Damage to deep tissue
• Side effects of treatment
  • Fatigue
  • Hair loss
  • Nausea
  • Pain
• Spread to other organs

Call your health care provider if you notice any symptoms of melanoma, particularly the following:

• If any existing skin growth changes in color, size, or texture
• If an existing lesion develops pain, swelling, bleeding, or itching