About this topic
Melanoma is a serious type of skin cancer that can develop on any area of the body. It can spread to other parts of the body. Treatment may be more successful if melanoma is found early. Treatments may include surgery, chemo, radiation therapy, or a combination of these. The most common treatment is surgery. ‚
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What care is needed at home?
- Ask your doctor what you need to do when you go home. Make sure you ask questions if you do not understand what the doctor says. This way you will know what you need to do.
- Take your drugs as ordered by the doctor.
- Rest when you are feeling tired.
- Make family and friends aware of your illness and how to help.
- Stay as active as you can, but plan for lots of rest.
- Quit smoking. Talk to your doctor about limiting alcohol use.
If you had surgery: ‚
- Keep the wound clean and dry as ordered by your doctor.
- Your doctor will tell you when to clean and change your bandages.
- Ask your doctor when it is safe to take a bath or shower.
If you had chemo: ‚
- You may feel tired. Take short naps often during the day.
- Your hair may start to fall out. Wear a hat or scarf to protect your scalp when you go outside.
- Ask for a family or friend to help you with your daily activities.
If you had radiation therapy: ‚
- Your skin may feel dry, itchy, and painful. Do not scratch, scrub, or rub on these areas.
- When taking a bath, use lukewarm water and mild, unscented soaps. Pat your skin dry with a soft towel.
- Do not shave the hair off of a treated skin area.
- Keep the treated area moisturized.
- Put a protective ointment on the area after each radiation treatment. Do not apply lotion or ointment to the radiation area before your treatment.
What follow-up care is needed?
- Your doctor may ask you to make visits to the office to check on your progress. Be sure to keep these visits. You may need more blood work, tests, or treatment.
- If you have stitches or staples, you will need to have them taken out. Your doctor will often want to do this in 1 to 2 weeks.
What drugs may be needed?
The doctor may order drugs to: ‚
- Help with pain
- Fight an infection
- Kill the cancer
- Treat an upset stomach or throwing up
Will physical activity be limited?
- You may need to limit your activity for a short time while you heal from surgery.
- Try to exercise each day to help give you energy. Talk to your doctor about the right amount of activity for you.
What changes to diet are needed?
Changes in diet are not needed. Continue with a healthy diet filled with fruit, veggies, and protein. ‚
What problems could happen?
- Cancer may grow back
- Cancer may spread to other parts of your body
What can be done to prevent this health problem?
- Do not use sunlamps or tanning beds.
- Avoid going outdoors between 10 AM and 4 PM.
- When you are going outdoors, apply a broad spectrum sunscreen. It should have a high sun protection factor (SPF). Ask your doctor what sunscreen is best for your skin type.
- Be sure to apply sunscreen on your skin every 1 to 2 hours if you are outside. Apply more often if you are swimming or sweating.
- Apply sunscreen even during winter and cloudy days.
- Skin burns faster in higher places like the mountains.
- Wear a hat, sunglasses, and protective clothing such as long sleeved shirts, skirts, and pants when outside.
- Check your skin often for unusual growths or lesions.
When do I need to call the doctor?
- Signs of wound infection. These include swelling, redness, warmth around the wound; pain with touch; yellowish, greenish, or bloody discharge; foul smell coming from the cut site; cut site opens up.
- New growths or lesions
- Very bad sunburn or blistering in the skin
- Health problem is not better or you are feeling worse
Helpful tips
Join a support group to get to know other people who have coped with this illness. ‚
Teach Back: Helping You Understand
The Teach Back Method helps you understand the information we are giving you. The idea is simple. After talking with the staff, tell them in your own words what you were just told. This helps to make sure the staff has covered each thing clearly. It also helps to explain things that may have been a bit confusing. Before going home, make sure you are able to do these: ‚
- I can tell you about my condition.
- I can tell you what kind of treatment I will be having.
- I can tell you how to care for my cut site, if I have one.
- I can tell you what I will do if I have a fever, chills, or redness or drainage from my wound.
Where can I learn more?
American Academy of Dermatology ‚
http://www.aad.org/dermatology-a-to-z/diseases-and-treatments/m---p/melanoma ‚
American Cancer Society ‚
http://www.cancer.org/acs/groups/cid/documents/webcontent/003063-pdf.pdf ‚
National Organization for Rare Disorders ‚
http://www.rarediseases.org/rare-disease-information/rare-diseases/byID/684/viewAbstract ‚
Skin Cancer Foundation ‚
http://www.skincancer.org/news/melanoma ‚
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
Copyright
Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚