Melanoma is a type of skin cancer that starts in pigmented cells called melanocytes, according to the American Cancer Society. Melanoma is not as common as basal cell or squamous skin cancers, but is a more dangerous disease. When melanoma spreads to other parts of the body, it becomes very difficult to treat and is often inoperable. Some treatment options are available for inoperable melanoma, with varying response rates.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy drugs can be used to treat inoperable melanoma. According to the American Cancer Society, chemotherapy may not be as effective in melanoma as it may be in other types of cancer, but the treatment can often extend life and improve symptoms in patients. One chemotherapy drug, dacarbazine, has been FDA-approved for treatment of melanoma, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation website. Dacarbazine may also be used in combination with other chemotherapy medications, such as carmustine and cisplatin. Another medication, temozolomide, may be used for melanoma therapy but may be more effective in combination with immunotherapy drugs, according to the American Cancer Society. Other chemotherapy drugs like paclitaxel and vinblastine may also be included in chemotherapy regimens for inoperable melanoma.
Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy medications cause the patient's own immune system to fight cancer cells itself, according to the American Cancer Society. Two medications, interferon-alpha and interleukin-2, kills melanoma cells and shrinks tumors in 10 to 20 percent of patients when used alone. Both immunotherapy medications can also be used in combination with chemotherapy for some patients with melanoma.
Monoclonal Antibodies
Another form of immunotherapy is the monoclonal antibody. Monoclonal antibodies are targeted specifically against cancer cells and can enhance the immune system response to the cancer, according to the CancerSupportiveCare.com website. Several monoclonal antibodies are under investigation for the treatment of inoperable melanoma. According to Dr. F. Stephen Hodi and colleagues in a 2010 article in the "New England Journal of Medicine," the monoclonal antibody, ipilimumab, improved survival rates in patients with melanoma that has spread to other parts of the body. The FDA is fast-tracking the review of ipilimumab after the encouraging study results, according to the MedicalNewsToday.com website. Tremelimumab is another monoclonal antibody being investigated for melanoma treatment, according to the OncoLink.org website. Both of these treatments may be used alone or with other chemotherapy medications.
Radiotherapy
Radiation therapy is not often used in the treatment of early melanomas, but once the disease spreads, radiation may be used to shrink tumors in different locations of the body, according to the American Cancer Society. Patients with significant symptoms from cancer cells in the brain or spine may benefit from radiation therapy of the specific metastasis.
References
- American Cancer Society: Chemotherapy
- American Cancer Society: What Is Melanoma?
- Medical News Today: Ipilimumab Receives FDA Priority Review Designation For Adult Patients With Previously Treated Advanced Melanoma
- The Skin Cancer Foundation: Melanoma Treatment
- "New England Journal of Medicine;" Improved Survival with Ipilimumab in Patients with Metastatic Melanoma; F. Stephen Hodi and colleagues; 2010.
