Melanoma

Question 1

What happens during a skin biopsy and what do the results tell your care team?

Accepted Answer

What happens When a spot on your skin looks unusual, your care team checks it. Your care team can explain what a skin biopsy involves for your situation. Why they check Care teams use the letters ABCDE to describe warning signs in a mole. Asymmetry means one half of the mole does not match the other half. Border means the edges look ragged, blurred, or irregular. Color means the color looks uneven, with shades of black, brown, or tan. Diameter means the spot has grown bigger. Evolving means the mole has changed over recent weeks or months. Your care team also checks moles that look unusual or grow larger. They also check moles that change in color or outline. Finding skin cancer early helps treatment work better. What the results can mean If the results show melanoma, surgery is usually the first treatment used. This is true no matter the stage. Other treatments your care team may discuss include chemotherapy and radiation. Biologic therapy and targeted therapy are other options. What to do Talk with your care team about any new or changing spot on your skin. They can explain what they found and what it may mean for you.

Question 2

What is a sentinel lymph node biopsy and what should you expect?

Accepted Answer

Your care team can explain a specific test like this one. They are the best source for what it involves and what to expect. In general, surgery is the first treatment used for melanoma, at every stage. Doctors may also use other treatments, including chemotherapy, radiation, biologic therapy, or targeted therapy. Biologic therapy works by boosting your body's own ability to fight cancer. Targeted therapy uses substances that attack cancer cells without harming normal cells. Treatment for skin cancer is more likely to work well when it is found early. Because of this, doctors check skin markings and changes that look suspicious. Moles that look unusual or change in size, color, or outline should also be checked. If your care team has recommended a procedure like this, ask what it involves. They can also tell you what to expect during and after it.

Question 3

What is BRAF tumor testing and why do the results matter?

Accepted Answer

Melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer. Doctors have several ways to treat it. Surgery is the first treatment for every stage of melanoma. Other treatments include chemotherapy, radiation, biologic therapy, and targeted therapy. Targeted therapy uses substances that attack cancer cells. It does not harm normal cells. Biologic therapy works differently. It boosts your body's own ability to fight cancer. You may have heard of a tumor test called BRAF testing. Your care team can explain what this kind of test involves. They can also explain how results may help guide your treatment choices.

Question 4

What is melanoma and how does it start in skin cells?

Accepted Answer

Melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer. Skin has pigment cells called melanocytes. Most people have between 10 and 40 moles. Moles form when melanocytes grow together in clusters. Melanoma is more dangerous, but less common, than basal cell cancer and squamous cell cancer. These are the two most common types of skin cancer. Often, the first sign of melanoma is a change in a mole. Most melanomas have a black or black-blue area. Melanoma can also appear as a new, abnormal mole. Some unusual moles, called dysplastic nevi, are more likely than ordinary moles to turn into melanoma. Doctors use the letters ABCDE to describe features of a mole. The letters stand for asymmetry, border, color, diameter, and evolving. Tanning outdoors or in a tanning bed exposes skin to rays that raise the risk of melanoma. Your care team can check any mole that looks unusual or keeps changing.

Question 5

What is staging for melanoma and how does it affect treatment?

Accepted Answer

Staging is how your care team describes how serious melanoma is, and it helps guide your treatment plan. Melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer. Doctors group melanoma into different stages. Surgery is the first treatment used for every stage of melanoma. Other treatments may depend on the stage. They can include chemotherapy, radiation, biologic therapy, or targeted therapy. Biologic therapy boosts your body's own ability to fight cancer. Targeted therapy uses substances that attack cancer cells without harming normal cells. Treatment is more likely to work well when skin cancer is found early. If skin cancer is not treated, some types can spread. They can reach other tissues and organs. Your care team will explain your stage. They will talk with you about treatment options.

Question 6

What do the ABCDE warning signs mean when checking your moles?

Accepted Answer

ABCDE is a tool for checking moles. It helps you know when to show a mole to your care team. It is not a way to diagnose melanoma yourself. Each letter stands for a warning sign doctors look for in a mole: Asymmetry: one half of the mole does not match the other half. Border: the edges are ragged, blurred, or irregular instead of smooth. Color: the color is uneven, with shades of black, brown, or tan. Diameter: the mole has grown larger than it used to be. Evolving: the mole has changed over the past few weeks or months. Often, the first sign of melanoma is a change in a mole. That change can be in size, shape, color, or feel. Most melanomas have a black or black-blue area. Melanoma can also appear as a new, unusual-looking mole. Most people have between 10 and 40 moles. About 1 in 10 people has an unusual mole, called a dysplastic nevus. It can look different from a typical mole. It may be more likely to develop into melanoma. If a mole looks unusual, grows, or changes, your care team can check it.

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