How is melanoma skin cancer treated?

General treatment information

Once melanoma has been diagnosed and staged, your cancer care team will discuss your treatment options with you. Depending on your situation, you may have different types of doctors on your treatment team. These doctors may include:

• A dermatologist: a doctor who treats diseases of the skin.
• A surgical oncologist: a doctor who uses surgery to treat cancer.
• A medical oncologist: a doctor who treats cancer with medicines such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or targeted therapy.
• A radiation oncologist: a doctor who treats cancer with radiation therapy.

Many other specialists may be involved in your care as well, including nurse practitioners, nurses, nutrition specialists, social workers, and other health professionals.

Based on the stage of the cancer and other factors, your treatment options may include:

• Surgery
• Chemotherapy
• Immunotherapy
• Targeted therapy
• Radiation therapy

Early-stage melanomas can often be treated effectively with surgery alone, but more advanced cancers often require other treatments. Sometimes more than one type of treatment is used.

It is important to consider your options carefully. If there is anything you do not understand, ask to have it explained.

The next few sections describe the types of treatments used for melanoma of the skin. This is followed by a description of the most common treatment options based on the stage of the melanoma.