Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of contributors
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- PART I General concepts in oncology
- Part II Primary tumors
- 17 Lung cancer
- 18 Breast cancer
- 19 Colorectal cancer
- 20 Prostate cancer
- 21 Pancreatic and hepatobiliary cancer
- 22 Anal cancer
- 23 Esophageal and gastric cancer
- 24 Head and neck cancer
- 25 Kidney cancer
- 26 Bladder cancer
- 27 Ovarian cancer
- 28 Gynecologic malignancies: endometrial and cervical carcinoma
- 29 Testicular cancer
- 30 Unknown primary site cancer
- 31 Mesothelioma
- 32 Adult soft tissue sarcoma
- 33 Osteosarcoma and Ewing's sarcoma
- 34 Melanoma
- 35 Primary brain tumors
- 36 Thyroid and adrenal cancer
- 37 HIV-related cancer
- 38 Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
- 39 Leukemia, myelodysplastic syndrome and myeloproliferative disorder
- 40 Multiple myeloma
- Part III Management of specific symptoms and syndromes
- Index
- References
34 - Melanoma
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 04 August 2010
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of contributors
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- PART I General concepts in oncology
- Part II Primary tumors
- 17 Lung cancer
- 18 Breast cancer
- 19 Colorectal cancer
- 20 Prostate cancer
- 21 Pancreatic and hepatobiliary cancer
- 22 Anal cancer
- 23 Esophageal and gastric cancer
- 24 Head and neck cancer
- 25 Kidney cancer
- 26 Bladder cancer
- 27 Ovarian cancer
- 28 Gynecologic malignancies: endometrial and cervical carcinoma
- 29 Testicular cancer
- 30 Unknown primary site cancer
- 31 Mesothelioma
- 32 Adult soft tissue sarcoma
- 33 Osteosarcoma and Ewing's sarcoma
- 34 Melanoma
- 35 Primary brain tumors
- 36 Thyroid and adrenal cancer
- 37 HIV-related cancer
- 38 Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
- 39 Leukemia, myelodysplastic syndrome and myeloproliferative disorder
- 40 Multiple myeloma
- Part III Management of specific symptoms and syndromes
- Index
- References
Summary
Introduction
Melanoma is the eighth most common cancer in the US, accounting for 3% of cancers. In women it is increasing worldwide at a rate exceeding all other cancers except lung cancer. It has now become the leading cause of cancer mortality in the US for women aged 25–29 years.
The outlook for patients with advanced melanoma has traditionally been pessimistic. Indeed, despite recent advances in the understanding of its biology and immunology, patients whose tumor has spread beyond the primary site generally have a poor prognosis. However, as shall be discussed in this chapter, there is considerable palliative benefit to be gained from the appropriate use of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. In addition, for the patient with advanced disease, the judicious use of these conventional modalities may lead to worthwhile disease-free survival. Newer treatments such as biochemotherapy and immunotherapy have also been widely tested in this setting and occasionally have resulted in the long-term survival of a small group of patients with advanced disease.
It is clear that patients with advanced melanoma should be managed in a multidisciplinary setting. In few other cancers is the involvement of such a range of specialists and professions as important. Primary care physicians, dermatologists, surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, palliative care physicians, and clinical nurse specialists will all often be concerned with a patient at some time during the course of their disease.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Handbook of Advanced Cancer Care , pp. 277 - 288Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2003