Malignant Melanoma

Question: What is the best treatment for vaginal malignant melanoma stage 2c ? i have a vaginal malignant melanoma. the tumor is 2.5 cm. with ulceration. I made a surgery where ovaries, uterus, the posterior wall of the vagian and the rectum where removed. my doctor said i am of high risk of recurrence. he told me there is no treatment available now except interferon and he is not really sure about its proficiency. the recommended dose he suggested is 3 million to be injected under the skin three times a week. Please help me if there are other treatments and ,if not, is the 3 million interferon dose effective or not. i did the surgery two months ago. no lymph nodes were affected. waiting for your replies. thanks everyone.

Answer: I'd go for the interferon therapy for at least a year or longer. I'd want to get started asap. Interferon is a very strong drug and can make you depressed but it has incredible anti-tumor potential plus it is your best option for avoiding another melanoma. 3million units is a rather low dose for melanoma. I'd ask about doing 5 or 10 million units 3X week. Cost will be the same for the higher dosage. I hope you have good drug insurance as interferon is very expensive. If you do not, I'd look into the Patient Assistance programs and maybe you can receive the meds for no cost if you have a very limited income. Your Dr should have already gone through all this with you. Be aggressive with taking care of yourself and in seeking out additional treatment. Remember the squeaky wheel gets the grease - or in this case the interferon. The advice about starting an antidepressant at the same time as the interferon is good. Also know that interferon side effects can be minimized by taking ibuprofen or Tylenol a couple hours after each interferon injection. Expect to be tired and need to sleep a lot. Give yourself permission to rest and take things easy. In some people the side effects decrease as time goes by. Since you had no nodal involvement you have a chance to be healed and even if the interferon treatment is very difficult, being healed has a great upside compared to doing nothing to prevent a second melanoma or recurrence. good luck http://www.cancer.med.umich.edu/cancertreat/skincancer/interferon_treatment.shtml http://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/results/high-dose-interferon1001 http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/430326 http://jco.ascopubs.org/cgi/content/full/22/1/7

Question: Safe to get pregnant with history of Malignant Melanoma/Skin Cancer? I have been in remission for Malignant Melanoma 2 years as of this month!! It did spread to some of my lymph nodes and my surgeries/treatments are complete and I am under close observation. Does anyone know anyone who got pregnant after fighting melanoma? My doctor says after you have been cancer free for a few years the risk of relapse is lower, but there isn't really anyway to know for sure. Any suggestions or stories to share? My husband and I are looking into our options.

Answer: If you become healthy, there is no reason not to have a baby. Take up where your doctor leaves off. Become proactive in your prevention of cancer, too. Get parabin free sun screens, because the parabins actually increase cancer risks when exposed to the sun. The National Cancer Institute launched a 6 million dollar project to study phytochemicals because they snuff out cancer before it begins. Phytochemicals are the pigments on raw fruits and vegetables. Especially cruciferous vegetabls and fiberous fruits, like kiwi, papaya, pineapple, and mango. Folic acid is plentiful in raw fruits and veggies, too, which is known to prevent birth defects. It aids in the normal development of the fetus. Because, you and I are no different in the amount of cancer cells that we form every day. Its your immune systems job to keep it at bay every second and it must be fed with healthy things to recover and prevent it from coming back.

Question: Is malignant melanoma curable? What are the treatment options? My mother went to her doctor because of a vaginal bleeding. The doctor found a big lump in the front of the vagina and she took a part and sent it to the lap. The bad news came my mother has malignant melanoma in her vagina. My mother is really scared. They advised her to make a surgery. I wish you can help her .

Answer: The first choice of treatment is the surgical removal of the tumour. If the tumour has already reached the lymphatic system, a surgical removal of the whole lymph node may be required to minimize the risk of the melanoma spreading to other parts or organs of the body. If the melanoma has already spread to other body organs (eg. brain, liver) these tumours should also be removed if possible. If surgery is impossible, radiotherapy or chemotherapy might be suitable treatments. Immunotherapy is a therapy that helps to support the immune system. Usually the drug called interferon alpha or interleukin-2 is injected underneath the skin. This treatment might last quite a long time (up to a year or even longer) and is often used in combination with surgical removal of the tumour, radiotherapy or chemotherapy. Unfortunately this therapy is connected with several disturbing side effects e.g. flu-like symptoms such as fever, drowsiness and nausea. Sometimes it may also cause a reduction of white, sometimes even red blood cells. These are the basic treatment options, there are more and, as dealing with skin cancer can be very frightening you would be advised therefore, to seek the advice of a dermatologist whom you trust, and discuss every aspect of your mother's disease openly with him/her. I add a link with details of this subject http://www.mayoclinic.org/ melanoma/ Hope this helps matador 89

Question: malignant melanoma? What is the life expectency for someone with melamona which had spreadto lymph nodes.......pretty much everywhere...and treatments. I know there is no cure but is there a treatment to slow it and give more time?

Answer: What is melanoma? What are signs and symptoms of melanoma? How is melanoma detected early? How is melanoma diagnosed? How is melanoma treated? What are the side effects of treatment? What happens after treatment? How do patients cope with cancer? Are there support groups for cancer patients? Can melanoma be prevented?

Question: What's the best treatment for vaginal malignant melanoma stage 2-c ? I have a vaginal malignant melanoma. the tumor is 2.5 cm. with ulceration. I made a surgery where ovaries, uterus, the posterior wall of the vagian and the rectum where removed. my doctor said i am of high risk of recurrence. he told me there is no treatment available now except interferon and he is not really sure about its proficiency. the recommended dose he suggested is 3 million to be injected under the skin three times a week. Please help me if there are other treatments and ,if not, is the 3 million interferon dose effective or not. i did the surgery two months ago. no lymph nodes were affected. waiting for your replies. thanks everyone

Answer: There is no cure for cancer, only treatment (that may lead to cure) . . so the fact that you are doing so well right now is a positive sign. It is difficult for people unfamiliar with this disease to give you any type of advice. The best thing is to locate a support group with patients who have the same disease and ask them these questions. You can try two different email support groups at ACOR (Association of Cancer Online Resources): The Gynecological Cancers Online Support Group http://listserv.acor.org/archives/gyn-onc.html Melanoma Support Group http://listserv.acor.org/archives/melanoma.html People Living with Cancer: Vaginal Cancer http://www.plwc.org/portal/site/PLWC/menuitem.034b98abc65a8f566343cc10ee37a01d/?vgnextoid=0296ea97a56d9010VgnVCM100000f2730ad1RCRD MD Anderson: Melanoma http://www.mdanderson.org/diseases/melanoma/ Cancer Care may also be able to guide you: http://www.cancercare.org/get_help/help_by_diagnosis/diagnosis.php?diagnosis=vaginal Good luck.

Question: What is the survival rate for malignant Melanoma? I want to know what my chances are after it keeps coming back and it is now at stage 4 and in my lungs but the Dr's keep saying the same thing it is different in every body. Please someone be up front with me.

Answer: You already know that your prognosis is guarded. I am not a big believer in prognosis charts or statistics since the only percentile that really ends up mattering is whatever percentile you turn out to be. What happens to others has no real relevance to what happens with you and reading published poor prognosis statistics does not mean that your death is an impending certainty. Emedicine says the five year prognosis for stage four melanoma is 7-19% survival. http://www.emedicine.com/derm/topic257.htm If you are able I would try to enroll in the NIH clinical trials for melanoma which have produced amazing results in small numbers of patients. Clinical trials info for stage four melanoma is available here. http://www.cancer.gov/search/ResultsClinicalTrials.aspx?protocolsearchid=3314399 The NIH is currently offering 164 stage four melanoma trials. I would try to get in any of the immunotherapy trials being run by Dr Steven A. Rosenberg. good luck

Question: John McCain: malignant melanoma four times is he ready to LIVE four years in the White House? Another reason this VP debate is important. if the race really gets ugly this might be used in an attack ad.

Answer: John McCain is 72. And I agree. If anything happens it will be President Palin. Scary eh?

Question: Does anyone know about the surgery to remove malignant melanoma. I am having it done Mon morning. ? It is a stage four so they are going to take lymph nodes as well, Just wondering how the surgery will go. This is not my year. I had a heart attack on March 1 and quadruple bypass on March 4 and now this. Yikes!

Answer: Missy, I'm terribly sorry to hear of all these calamities. Firstly, I'm not a dermatologic surgeon, so I can simply provide you with some basic info about it. I'm not very familiar with staging of melanoma, but generally many surgeons will do a sentinel lymph node biopsy (pretty easy imaging) procedure to see whether there's lymph node involvement (if it hasn't been determined yet). Then there are basically two approaches based on excisional margins for a lesion: the conventional one resects a lesion using very large margins to make sure they get every last bit of it. Mohs micrographic surgery is a bit more refined in that it used more sophisticated techniques to narrow the excisional margins. Beyond that, I really can't offer much but my best wishes for a successful outcome. Depending on your clinical situation, your physician is in the best position to determine the appropriate surgical management of your ailment. I wish you the best. Here's some high-tech academic info about Mohs which may not be all that helpful, but I figure I'll include it fyi: _____________________________________________ Surgical margins for excision of primary cutaneous melanoma. JA Zitelli, CD Brown, BH Hanusa - J Am Acad Dermatol, 1997

Question: my aunt (mother's sister) had a malignant melanoma in her eye. does that mean i or my mum carry the gene? is there a bigger chance of me or my mum getting a malignant melanoma in my eye now because of my aunt having it?

Answer: No it doesn’t mean that at all. Less than 10% of all cancers are hereditary and there is no reason to believe your aunt’s is. Genetic testing is very expensive and it would not be on her path report. You are at a higher risk for melanoma if you have two or more first or second degree relatives with it, but that does not mean you will get it. It is only one of several risk factors. Therefore her having melanoma is not a risk factor for you.

Question: If I don't have any moles can I still get malignant melanoma? My understanding (based on what I'm not sure) is melanoma skin cancer develops in moles. Seeing as I do not have any moles does this mean I can't get this type of skin cancer? No one in my family has any moles either.

Answer: Moles are not always visible. I was told by my surgeon that everyone has around 30 - 40 moles visible or otherwise. The thing is with Malignant Melanoma that it can take up to 20 years from the time of getting sunburned to the Melanoma becoming active. This is not a disease that anyone should take a chance on whether they can see moles on their skin or not. I was diagnosed with it about 25 years ago and am so lucky to be here to tell you about it as I had the most deadly form so was not expected to survive more than a matter of weeks. No risks are worth taking, believe me. Look after your skin and show it the utmost respect.

Question: Why do health insurance companies deny life ins coverage to people who have a history of malignant melanoma's? I was just denied life insurance coverage due to a health history of malignant melanoma = 10 years ago, 2 squamous cell carcinoma's = 5 years ago, and 3 displastic nevi removed 6 months ago by my dermatologist. I get skin exams whenever I see anything suspicious. I take all the necessary precasions. I am almost 45 years old; fair complected, and a female.

Answer: Well, there are two answers. You're looking for standard rates. Once you have a malignant melanoma, you no longer QUALIFY for standard rates - the odds are just MUCH higher that you won't live as long as someone who hasn't had any melanoma. The second answer is, if price is no object, you CAN buy life insurance. You need to talk to a high risk life agent in your area. You're just going to pay through the nose for it - maybe even close to payout value.

Question: What is the American Cancer Society’s “ABCD rule� for recognizing malignant melanoma?

Answer: Here is the info from the melanoma foundation's web page. http://www.melanomafoundation.org/preven…

Question: Has anyone else put themselves at risk of a malignant melanoma of the skin today? It's only mid April and the sun has been as hot as August. I didn't think to use sun cream and I am now red raw. Aftersun only does so much, does anyone have any other remedies for sunburn? I'm in the UK. Midlands.

Answer: you should be cooling the skin down as much as possible. Spray cold water on yourself, and a little calomine lotion - not a lot. There is no remedy but if you're lucky you may not burn and peel - wear light cotton clothes and nothing tight. Drink plenty - you are cleaerly dehydrated. But I'm afraid it's cool water spray for the next few hours and cross your fingers that it takes the heat from the skin and doesn't burn! Good luck,

Question: Is there any link between a malignant melanoma and Deep Vein Thrombosis?? Im 23.? I had a Level 2 Malignant Melanoma removed in Nov 07, in my right calf, and was diagnosed with a blood clot (DVT) in my left calf at the end of Jan 08. Im only 23, and not sure if there is any link between the two? Any help would be appreciated!

Answer: they are related becoz any even the simplest dehydration can precipitate the immunoglobulins,and it starts a cascade of thrombus

Question: How long does melanoma (after a mole becomes malignant) take to spread and cause a person to die? Does it take years after malignancy of a mole or does melanoma spread within a few weeks as with other cancers? For example if someone has a mole (dysplastic nevi) for more than 2 years, could it be that this mole has been malignant for two years or longer?

Answer: Difficult to say as each person is an individual. Some cancers grow slower than others and some take off like wildfire and spread within a few weeks. Cancer means the uncontrollable growth of cells . . so the fact that they may grow quickly should never come as a surprise to anyone. Death from malignancy is also an individual thing since much will depend on the overall health of the individual, age, and their response to treatment. As for your question about how long it takes a mole to become malignant .. again it depends on the person. Some cancers can stay dormant for undetermined amount of time and than suddenly begin growing rapidly. No one knows why or we would be able to stop cancer. That is why it is best to treat cancer when it is small and manageable because you never know when it is going to have a 'growth spurt' and spread like wildfire.

Question: What are the indications of malignant melanoma with two positive lymph nodes in sentinel lymph node biopsy? in sentinel lymph node biopsy, they found two positive lymph nodes. After this they did a neck disection and removed a large area on the back of my neck and back. They said they did not find any more cancer or lymph nodes and were satisfied to stop there. They have rcommended interferon for one year and will follow me closely for a reocurance. i was expecting them to find 30 ro 40 lymph nodes in the basin they removed and was extremely surprised when they said they only found one lymph node in a huge surgery and that one lymph node was negative. The biopsy stated they found no more cancer but left me with 200 staples and sutchers to remove and then heal from. I thought prognosis was based on the number of positive lymph nodes found after a full neck disection? They only found one lymph node? The primary tumor was on the back of my neck just below the hair line. It was 2.9mm and was Ulcerated. I am a 55 year old male. So I am stage lllC.

Answer: Your real question is how does a sentinel lymph node biopsy work. So, they remove your tumor and then inject dye into the area. The blood supply takes the dye to the nearest lymph node. They take that lymph node out and bring it to the pathologist. If the pathologist says it has no cancer then they don't remove anymore nodes. I can not comment on why there is so many staples, sometimes if the surgery is in a non smooth area there needs to me more staples. Also that part of the body bleeds A LOT, so it may need more to stop the bleeding