Melanoma
Stage I and II:
Surgical Excision:
Early stages of melanoma can be treated by surgical excision, the success rate for such operations is very high and the surgery itself fairly straightforward. The procedure may leave a scar, depending on the size and depth of the tumor, but is preferable by far to treating the melanoma later. The doctor will cut out the tumor itself and at minimum 1/2 a centimeter of uninfected skin around the circumference of the tumor. For larger tumors, a wider section is of skin is cut. Excisions reaching more than two centimeters beyond the tumor are not reccommended. To err on the side of caution, the edges of the excision are tested for traces of melanoma. If anything is found, a second, larger excision may be required.
Lymph Node Surgery:
Once the melanoma has spread, or may have spread, into the lymphatic system, doctors must remove one of the patient's lymphatic nodes and test it for traces of melanoma. If it is infected then it is likely that all lymphatic nodes in the area of the tumor have been compromised. In this case a complete lymph node dissection must be performed. Doctors surgicaly remove all of the patients local lymphatic nodes to prevent the cancer spreading. Although a lymph node dissection is difficult, if it is not performed the melanoma will spread throughout the entire lymphatic system. (Pictured Right)
