How is stage 2 melanoma treated? The treatment of melanoma is changing as researchers learn more about this disease. Understanding all of your treatment options will help you play an active role in your treatment and care.
Surgery Surgery is the primary treatment for melanoma of the skin. The goal of surgery is to remove all of the tumor with a surrounding area of skin ( margin ) and to test if any tumor cells have spread to nearby lymph nodes. This usually includes the procedures that are done while staging the cancer: a wide local excision and a sentinel lymph node biopsy. Additional treatment After surgery, doctors may recommend adjuvant treatment for high-risk patients. Adjuvant treatment (or adjuvant therapy ) is treatment after surgery to lower the chance of cancer coming back ( recurrence ). The reason for adjuvant treatment is to eliminate small numbers of cancer cells that cannot be found with standard imaging and were not removed by surgery because they had spread to distant sites.
Adjuvant therapy has been shown to delay or prevent the cancer from coming back. However, it is still being studied. It has not yet been shown to improve overall survival in people with melanoma and there are some health risks with this treatment. The type of adjuvant therapy depends on a person’s stage of melanoma.
Newer, recently-approved adjuvant therapies There are newer therapies, called
systemic treatments, that travel through your bloodstream. These medicines can target cells directly or enhance your immune system response against the tumor anywhere in your body. Talk to your care team about if systemic treatments might be right for you.
What is the follow-up care for stage 2 melanoma?
After treatment, doctors recommend that you:
Do monthly self skin checks.
Schedule ongoing dermatology visits at least once a year, or as recommended by your care team.
Learn about FDA-approved (US Food & Drug Administration) adjuvant treatments for melanoma:
Doctors may also recommend that you have:
A physical exam every 3–6 months for a few years after your treatment.
https://melanoma.org/ cutaneous-melanoma/ cutaneous-treatment/
Imaging tests , such as PET-CT, CT scans or an ultrasound of concerning lymph nodes to check for the cancer coming back ( recurrence ). Ask your care team how often you will need imaging tests.
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