Melanoma Skin Cancer
Diagnosis and Treatment

Diagnosis of Skin Cancer

Your doctor will ask about your symptoms and medical history and perform a physical exam to look for skin cancer, including Melanoma, Basal Cell Carcinoma, and Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Many cases of melanoma, basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma are found during routine physical exams or when doing a skin self-exam. Melanomas are less common than other skin cancer. But they are more dangerous because they are far more likely to spread to other parts of the body and are responsible for about 79% of skin cancer deaths. To diagnose melanoma, your doctor will perform or order:

• Skin Exam
• Mole Biopsy—a doctor will take a tissue sample of any moles that may be cancerous to have the sample checked for cancer cells.
• Lymph Node Exam—lymph nodes in the groin, underarm, neck, or areas near the suspicious mole are checked. Enlarged lymph nodes suggest that the melanoma may have spread beyond the mole
• Lymph Node Biopsy—a sample of lymph node tissue (a biopsy) to test for cancer cells.

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Treatments for Melanoma Skin Cancer

The goal of treatment is to eliminate the cancer or, if this is not possible, to limit its further growth and control the symptoms. Surgery is the primary treatment for melanoma. Melanoma treatments involve the following:

• Surgery
• Radiation therapy
• Medications to Treat Side Effects of Melanoma Treatment
• Chemotherapy
• Other treatments – biological therapy
• Lifestyle changes

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