Treating Stage IV Melanoma Prior to 2011, no drug had ever been shown to extend life for patients with metastatic melanoma. Thirteen years passed with no new approved treatments. Since then, the melanoma community has seen an astonishing number of treatment advances. As the following are only brief descriptions of each treatment option, please visit the MRF’s website at www.melanoma.org for more detailed information.
• Radiation Radiation is most often used as a symptom-relieving therapy in patients whose melanoma has spread to the brain or bones. In these situations, it would be used to make the patient more comfortable. • Chemotherapy Chemotherapy is not often used in the treatment of melanoma. Although it is an FDA-approved treatment, research has shown limited overall survival benefits with this type of treatment. • Clinical Trials Clinical trials offer access to drugs or combinations of drugs that are not yet approved by the FDA. Many experts believe these drugs offer great promise in lowering the risk of recurrence. As with any treatment decision, enrolling in a trial is a personal decision and many factors should be considered.
• Immunotherapy Immunotherapy is a type of systemic treatment and attempts to activate a person’s immune system so that it will destroy melanoma cells. It is prescribed and administered by a medical oncologist. A few FDA-approved immunotherapy options now exist for Stage IV melanoma patients. • Targeted therapy Targeted therapy is a form of treatment designed to interfere with the specific proteins that are driving the growth and spread of the tumor. Because they are “targeted” to the tumor, these therapies may be more effective and associated with fewer side effects compared to some other therapies. A targeted therapy approach allows patients to receive a somewhat personalized treatment since the drugs are based on the unique genetic profile, or subtype, of their tumor. Learn more about testing for these treatments in the main section of this booklet.
Clinical Trial Facts Below is some important information you should know about clinical trials in melanoma: • M ost melanoma clinical trials provide either the best
• T rials often give you greater control over your care. • It is free to participate in clinical trials and you often have more diagnostic tests while participating than you otherwise would have during regular treatment. • Y ou can choose to stop participating in a trial at any time.
treatment option OR a new, and possibly better, treatment option. Many trials even combine the standard therapy with a new treatment. • T rials help physicians determine which patients should receive which drugs in which order (sequence). • T rials give you access to therapies that are not yet approved by the FDA but that are, oftentimes, more effective in the treatment of melanoma.
Follow Up As with other stages of diagnosis, skin exams to evaluate for a new melanoma or other skin cancer should continue. Your dermatologist or oncologist may recommend professional appointments every 3–6 months and self-skin exams at home should be performed every month. A variety of diagnostic tests will also be performed regularly.
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