Melanoma: treatment, symptoms

Melanoma is a malignant tumor that develops from melanocytes. The tumor affects the skin more often, more rarely - the retina of the eye, the brain, mucous membranes. The most common degeneration in melanoma (70% of patients).

This disease is the most aggressive of all malignant tumors, lightning sprouting through several layers of skin and spreading to other organs. Therefore it is very important to diagnose melanoma as early as possible. If the birthmark (pigmented spot) begins to grow rapidly, change shape or color, inflame is an occasion to urgently appeal to the oncologist. Bezpigmental melanoma is also common.

The tumor can also affect the retina of the eye, the symptoms being expressed as follows: a drop in visual acuity, a change in the color of the eye, an increase in the size of the eye , the appearance of ulcers, bleeding, nodal formations. Melanoma of the eye is manifested in 5-7% of cases of all pigment pathologies. Often, when examining the organ, a small melanoma is taken for a pigmented spot.

Melanoma - treatment of ailment

The method of fighting the disease depends on its stage of development. If melanoma is diagnosed , treatment is prescribed as soon as possible.

Stage I. At this stage, the tumor does not go beyond the epidermis and is treated by surgical excision.

Stage II. At this stage of the disease, along with the tumor, a certain amount of healthy skin is simultaneously removed. If the doctor suspected lymph node involvement, a biopsy is performed. With a positive test result, all lymph nodes in the area of melanoma are removed. Additional medications (alpha-interferon or other drugs) may be prescribed.

Stage III. It is characterized by damage to the lymph nodes at the time of diagnosis. Surgical treatment of melanoma is carried out with lymphodissection. Interferon therapy allows delaying relapse. All foci of the disease are removed (if the patient is diagnosed with several melanomas). If the surgical method can not be used, the introduction of a BCG vaccine or an interleukin-2 preparation into the focus of the vaccine. In the presence of melanoma on the limb, its isolated perfusion is performed. Radiation therapy is also used on the affected area, chemotherapy and immunotherapy are used.

Stage IV. Melanoma, the treatment of which is no longer limited to surgical methods, giving metastases to distant lymph nodes or organs. Complete recovery at this stage is very difficult. With the help of surgery, it is possible to remove large foci of tumors. Radiation therapy, immunotherapy or chemotherapy are also prescribed.

Chemotherapy in patients with this stage of melanoma is ineffective and short-lived. Most often, dacarbazine and temozolomide are prescribed.

Immunotherapy implies the use of interferon, interleukin-2, ipilimumab and allows prolonging the life span of the patient at this stage.

In some patients, even at this stage of the disease, there may be a good susceptibility to treatment, which allows an increase in life expectancy.

Folk methods in melanoma

If melanoma is diagnosed, the treatment may also include the use of traditional medicine (with the preliminary consultation of the attending physician).

For example, in the treatment of this disease, the use of aconite tincture is effective. When treating this plant, one must not forget about its toxicity. Most often the maximum dosage of this remedy is individual and depends on the general well-being of the patient.

A very promising folk remedy for melanoma is the birch bark processing products, as well as a variety of plant herbs (for example, nettle nettles, hyssop, angelica roots, coriander fruits). However, such remedies in no way replace full-fledged treatment for an oncologist!