Melanoma is a malignant tumor of the skin that usually starts as a brown or black mole and can spread to local lymph glands and distant organs if not detected in its earliest stages.
Most melanomas are caused by sun exposure over many years, and there is an epidemic of melanomas in the United States.
To remove the skin tumor and the lymph nodes consists of surgery only, while disease that involves the lymph nodes is treated with surgery followed by one year of interferon-alpha injections.
Sometimes radiation therapy is also used.
Once melanoma spreads past the lymph nodes, it is difficult to treat.
Treatments for melanomas include chemotherapy drugs, immunotherapy drugs, vaccines, or combinations of these agents.
Active clinical and basic research is ongoing to formulate better treatments for advanced melanoma.
Additionally, techniques are being developed to predict which patients with skin tumors need further treatment in order to prevent spreading of the disease.
