After Treatment for Melanoma Skin Cancer

Staying prepared and organized

Even if you’ve completed treatment, it’s very important to stay organized and on top of your health. Keeping your records and health insurance coverage in order makes it easier to manage your follow-up care, future checkups, and any new concerns that might come up.

Keep your health insurance

It’s very important to keep health insurance as a melanoma survivor. Insurance can help cover the cost of follow-up visits, tests, and any care you might need in the future. No one wants to think about their cancer coming back, but it’s best to be prepared.

Save your medical records

At some point, you might see a new doctor who doesn’t know your cancer history. Keep copies of your medical records or have access to them so you can easily share the details of your diagnosis and treatment when needed.

Can I lower my risk of the melanoma progressing or coming back?

If you have or have had melanoma, you probably want to know if there are things you can do that might lower your risk of the cancer coming back, or of getting a new melanoma or other skin cancer.

Protect yourself from the sun and watch your skin for changes

People who have had melanoma are at higher risk for developing another melanoma or other type of skin cancer. Because of this, it’s very important to limit your exposure to UV rays from the sun or tanning beds, to continue to examine your skin every month for signs of melanoma coming back or possible new skin cancers, and to continue to see a dermatologist (skin doctor) on a regular basis. Treatment is more likely to be successful when skin cancers are found early.

Adopt other healthy behaviors

At this time, more research is needed to know whether there are other things you can do to lower the risk of melanoma coming back. Adopting healthy behaviors such as not smoking, eating well, getting regular physical activity, and staying at a healthy weight might help, but no one knows for sure. However, these types of changes can have positive effects on your health that extend beyond your risk of cancer.

About dietary supplements

So far, no dietary supplements have been shown to clearly help lower the risk of melanoma coming back. This includes vitamins, minerals, and herbal products. This doesn’t mean that no supplements will help. But it’s important to know that none have been proven to do so.

In the United States, dietary supplements aren’t regulated like medicines. They don’t have to be proven effective or even safe before being sold, although there are limits on what they’re allowed to claim they can do.

Talk to your healthcare team before taking any type of nutritional supplement. They can help you decide which ones are safe and which ones might be harmful.

If the cancer comes back

If melanoma comes back at some point, your treatment options will depend on where the cancer is, what treatments you’ve had before, your overall health, and other factors. For more on how recurrent cancer is treated, see Treatment of Melanoma Skin Cancer by Stage.

For more general information on dealing with a recurrence, see Understanding Recurrence.

Second cancers after treatment

People who’ve had melanoma are at higher risk for getting some other types of cancer, including:

• Another skin cancer, including a new melanoma. This is different from the first cancer coming back.
• Salivary gland cancer
• Small intestine cancer
• Breast cancer (in women)
• Prostate cancer
• Kidney cancer
• Thyroid cancer
• Soft tissue cancer
• Non-Hodgkin lymphoma

The most common second cancer in survivors of skin melanoma is another skin cancer.

Can I lower my risk of getting a second cancer?

There are steps you can take to help lower your risk of a second cancer and stay as healthy as possible.

For example, it’s important to limit your exposure to UV rays, which can increase your risk for many types of skin cancer.

To help maintain good health, it’s also important to:

• Get to and stay at a healthy weight.
• Keep physically active and limit the time you spend sitting or lying down.
• Follow a healthy eating pattern that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
• Limit red and processed meats, sugary drinks, and highly processed foods.
• Avoid alcohol. If you do drink, have no more than 1 drink per day for women or 2 per day for men.

These steps might also lower the risk of other health problems, including heart disease.

Follow cancer screening guidelines

Melanoma survivors should also follow the American Cancer Society guidelines for the early detection of cancer, such as those for colorectal and lung cancer. Most experts don’t recommend any other specific tests to look for second cancers unless you have symptoms.

See Second Cancers for more information.

Getting emotional support

It’s normal to feel depressed, anxious, or worried when cancer is a part of your life. Some people are affected more than others, but everyone can benefit from help and support, whether this is from friends and family, religious groups, support groups, professional counselors, or others.

Learn more in Life After Cancer.