Chemotherapy for melanoma

Melanoma is a malignant tumor that occurs as a result of the degeneration and subsequent proliferation of cells of the epidermis. It affects the skin more often, however, in rare cases it occurs on mucous membranes. The tumor spreads in the cells of the epidermis, is capable of forming metastases and penetrating into internal organs. The classic methods of treating melanoma are surgery and chemotherapy. Their combination makes it possible to achieve stable remission.

What is chemotherapy?

During chemotherapy, drugs that are used to destroy cancer cells are injected into the patient's body through a vein. With the blood flow, they spread throughout the body. When the drug reaches the malignant cells, it destroys them. As the drug is dispersed throughout all organs, healthy cells and tissues are affected. This causes a lot of side effects.

Melanoma and chemotherapy

Currently, chemotherapy for melanoma is one of the main ways to treat the disease. Since the drugs used for this method of therapy are aimed at destroying the rapidly dividing cells that make up the malignant neoplasm. Chemotherapy for melanoma is carried out with the help of drugs:

• "Carmustine",
• "Carboplatin",
• "Temozolomide",
• "Vinbplastin",
• "Paclitaxeb".

Medications are prescribed individually or combined, depending on the type of tumor and the degree of its spread.

In a situation where melanoma has spread within the extremities, isolated chemotherapy is used. The blood flow of the affected organ is isolated from the general one and an increased dose of drugs is administered through the artery that feeds the affected limb. This avoids the occurrence of severe side effects.

An alternative to chemotherapy in the treatment of melanoma

Because chemotherapy causes a lot of side effects and gives significant results only in combination with surgical removal of the tumor. Scientists all over the world are developing new treatments. One of the alternatives to chemotherapy is immunotherapy. By taking medications, the immune system is activated and the process of destroying malignant cells is started. With immunotherapy, healthy cells are not affected by drugs and the side effects are less pronounced. In the treatment of melanoma, doctors use chemotherapy or immunotherapy together and separately. The combination of these methods gives a significant result, reduces the size of the tumor and facilitates the patient's condition. Immunotherapy is a more gentle treatment method and is used separately in cases when the patient has reached an advanced age or his body is severely weakened.

Methods and drugs for the treatment of melanoma are being improved every year. Drugs are being developed that do not cause side effects and can lead to remission in patients with advanced forms of melanoma.