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Melanoma
Melanoma is an especially serious form of cancer that is
caused by exposure to the sun. Skin cells called melanocytes absorb sunlight
and make melanin, which gives the skin its color. Excessive sunlight sometimes
causes these melanocytes to grow abnormally, and become cancerous.
Fair-skinned people who live in places that are
predominantly sunny are at greatest risk. In Israel alone, 1200 cases of
melanoma were diagnosed in 2006, compared to 970 cases in previous years.
Melanoma usually appears as a mole that changes in
appearance, or as a new mole. When melanoma is diagnosed and treated in its early
stages, the chances of recovery are good. However, melanoma is a cancer that
advances very rapidly, and can kill in a very short time. People who have had
melanoma are at greater risk for recurrence of the disease.
Melanoma Treatment
Melanoma in its earliest stages is treated with surgery:
the mole is removed, along with some of the healthy surrounding tissue, often
by the dermatologist in the office. For larger moles, a skin graft can be used
to replace the removed skin. If it spreads to the nearby lymph nodes, they usually
are removed as well.
Later stage melanomas, thicker ones or those that have
spread to the lymph nodes, can be treated with chemotherapy, radiation, and/or
immunotherapy, based on the conditions that exist.
Late-stage (Stage IV) melanomas that have spread to other
parts of the body or to other organs are hard to treat, but there are options
for these patients, in the form of interferon treatments or a new technique
that makes a vaccine from the patient s own cancer cells.
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Hand in Hand can help you to apply for the vaccine treatment! Click on Contact Us and get the
process started now!
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