Why Is Melanoma The Deadliest Form of Skin Cancer?

Why Is Melanoma The Deadliest Form of Skin Cancer? : Melanoma is the most deadly form of skin cancer because it is most likely to spread to other organs. Other types of skin cancers rarely spread from outside of the skin’s surface, and the ability of the melanoma to metastasize in stage four makes it the most deadly. However, melanoma has a high cure rate if detected in its early stages.

What is Melanoma?

Melanoma is distinct from other skin cancers in that it is usually a proliferation of pigment cells. Sometimes, melanoma can also originate in different parts of the mucosal tract, including the head, neck, and the GI tract, as well as on the bottoms of the palms or the soles, which usually does not occur in other types of skin cancers. So if you catch it early, that is great.

What are the four stages of melanoma?

Stage one to stage two melanoma involves the disease being in the skin but not spreading to the lymph nodes or the rest of the body. This type of melanoma still has a pretty high chance of cure if a doctor catches it early.
Stage three melanoma is when the melanoma has escaped from the skin and gone to the lymph nodes. Oncologists divide stage three into A, B, and C, depending on how many lymph nodes are involved. The cure rate there drops if lymph nodes are involved.
A stage four melanoma is a melanoma that has left the lymph nodes and gone to distant body parts. At this stage, the overall average of survival is low. However, those numbers are getting better with the development of newer therapies.

What is the treatment protocol for melanoma?

Melanoma patients are usually treated in two phases. The first phase is if they are diagnosed, and then they have a melanoma-positive lymph node. Traditionally, the surgeon removes the lymph node, and then they come to see an oncologist to help them prevent the melanoma from recurring in the rest of their body. Hunterdon Hematology Oncology, LLC has several clinical studies geared towards preventing melanoma from spreading to the rest of the body, called stage four melanoma. Melanoma does predominantly exist in an older population. However, the numbers in the younger population are much higher than other types of lethal cancers.

What is the importance of an early diagnosis for melanoma?

There is still a long way to go to eradicate melanoma or completely cure the majority of the patients. Therefore, patients must be aware of the importance of making an early diagnosis for any cancer, especially melanoma, to reduce the spread and thus increase the chances of remission. If you have more questions about melanoma or any other type of cancer, contact Hunterdon Hematology Oncology, LLC to book a consultation appointment. The clinical expertise of the medical oncologists at Hunterdon Hematology Oncology, LLC is in cutaneous malignancies, including melanoma in Flemington and other skin cancers.