Melanoma is such a variable disease that someone who is diagnosed should not feel totally disheartened. Long disease-free intervals are often achieved after the deep primary tumors are removed, and early melanomas are usually curable. If the disease comes back in a lymph node, it can be removed surgically. If it comes back elsewhere, such as in the lungs or liver, a variety of treatments are available. Some of the most exciting developments in immunotherapy are occurring in the treatment of melanoma, where prolonged survivals of several years are becoming fairly common.
It is important for all patients to know that there is now good news to replace the old bad news, when there was very little anyone could do about widespread disease.
Check any information you may gain from reading about the disease with an oncologist who knows about melanoma. Above all, don't let your relatives, neighbors or friends tell you all they "know" about melanoma.
