Melanoma skin cancer
If you’re affected by melanoma, you may have many questions about how it is diagnosed, treatment options, side effects and how to stay well. You can find trustworthy information about all aspects of your experience below.
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Diagnosis
- What type of melanoma do I have? How thick is it?
- Has the melanoma spread? Did the biopsy remove all of the melanoma?
- Can you explain the results of the tests to me?
- Are there clinical guidelines for this type of melanoma?
Treatment
- What treatment do you recommend? What is the aim of the treatment?
- Are the latest tests and treatments for melanoma that are available in this hospital?
- How long will treatment take? Will I have to stay in hospital?
- How much will treatment cost? Can the cost be reduced if I can’t afford it?
- How will I know if the treatment is working?
- Are there any clinical trials or research studies I could join?
Side effects
- What are the risks and possible side effects of each treatment? How can these be managed?
- Will I have a lot of pain? If I do, what will be done about this?
- Will there be any scarring after the melanoma is removed?
- What are the chances I will get lymphoedema after treatment?
After treatment
- How often will I need to get my skin checked after treatment? Who should I go to for my skin checks?
- How can I protect myself from the sun and get enough vitamin D?
- If the melanoma returns, how will I know? What treatments could I have?
- Are there any local support groups for people with melanoma?
Melanoma is the most serious form of skin cancer. We have separate information on the more common types of skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).
Need to talk?
A/Prof Rachel Roberts-Thomson, Medical Oncologist, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, SA; A/Prof Robyn Saw, Surgical Oncologist, Melanoma Institute Australia, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and The University of Sydney, NSW; Alison Button-Sloan, Consumer; Dr Marcus Cheng, Radiation Oncologist Registrar, Alfred Health, VIC; Prof Anne Cust, Deputy Director, The Daffodil Centre, The University of Sydney and Cancer Council NSW, Chair, National Skin Cancer Committee, Cancer Council, and faculty member, Melanoma Institute Australia; Prof David Gyorki, Surgical Oncologist, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, VIC; Dr Rhonda Harvey, Mohs Surgeon, Dermatologist, Green Square Dermatology, The Skin Hospital, Darlinghurst and Sydney Melanoma Diagnostic Centre, RPA, NSW; David Hoffman, Consumer; A/Prof Jeremy Hudson, Southern Cross University, James Cook University, Chair of Dermatology RACGP, Clinical Director, North Queensland Skin Cancer, QLD; Dr Damien Kee, Medical Oncologist, Austin Health and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and Clinical Research Fellow, Walter & Eliza Hall Institute, VIC; Angelica Miller, Melanoma Community Support Nurse, Melanoma Institute Australia, WA; Romy Pham, 13 11 20 Consultant, QLD; A/Prof Sasha Senthi, Radiation Oncologist, Alfred Health, and Clinical Research Fellow, Victorian Cancer Agency, VIC; Dr Chistoph Sinz, Dermatologist, Melanoma Institute Australia, NSW; Dr Amelia Smit, Research Fellow, Melanoma and Skin Cancer, The Daffodil Centre, The University of Sydney and Cancer Council NSW; Nicole Taylor, Clinical Nurse Consultant, Crown Princess Mary Cancer Centre, Westmead Hospital, NSW.
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