Definition
"Melanoma" means a malignant neoplasm of the skin, originating in melanocytes of skin, mucous membranes (oral cavity, genitals), nevi and other extracutaneous anatomical regions such as meninges, eye, ear and fat: this is a serious and dangerous pathology, the most formidable of all cancers of the skin, so much so that it often endangers the life of the affected individual.
Melanoma can appear in every anatomical district, although the prevailing target is certainly the skin.
Causes
Even for this serious neoplastic form, science currently has only a few etiological hypotheses, without any ascertained cause. However, among the risk factors, we cannot forget: familiarity, repeated sunburn over the years, change in the appearance of freckles, skin diseases, the presence of numerous snows on the skin, light skin, eyes and light hair.
Symptoms
Melanoma is asymptomatic; in any case, a careful and scrupulous medical observation of the snow makes it possible to identify the tumor from the initial stage. Melanoma can appear with a structural modification of a benign neo: this tends to change in terms of size (increase in length, width and thickness), chromatic (modulation of the natural color of the neo), symmetrical (the neo no longer maintains its shape typically roundish).
Information on Melanoma - Drugs for the Treatment of Melanoma is not intended to replace the direct relationship between health professional and patient. Always consult your doctor and / or specialist before taking Melanoma - Melanoma Medication.
drugs
Individuals with numerous nevi on the skin should undergo regular medical check-ups, in order to avoid the transformation of a benign neo in its malignant form (or at least to intervene already in the initial stage): as we have analyzed, in fact, the melanoma does not give no symptoms, and the only way to diagnose cancer is the specialist examination.
All malignant melanomas must be surgically eradicated: the extent of the excision will be as deep as the mass of neoplastic cells results. In the event of severe lymphadenopathy, the only feasible therapeutic option is complete dissection of the lymph node.
After surgery, the patient is generally subjected to an adjuvant pharmacological treatment, useful for destroying any remaining cells, not taken during surgery; still, supportive care with anticancer drugs can be supported by those patients who present a clear risk of recurrence.
- Interferon Alfa 2b (eg Introna): the drug is taken at the initial dose of 20 million units per square meter of body extension, by infusion of 20 minutes for 5 consecutive days every week, for at least 4 weeks. Maintenance dose: take 10 million units of drug per square meter subcutaneously, three times a week for 48 weeks.
- Dacarbazine (eg. Daunoblastina, DaunoXome): take 2-4.5 mg / kg of drug intravenously, once a day for 10 days. Repeat the administration every 4 weeks. Alternatively, take 250 mg / m2 once a day for 5 days and repeat this pattern every 3 weeks.
- Fotemustina (eg. Muphoran): this drug, available in bottles for intravenous injection, is indicated for the treatment of disseminated malignant melanoma with possibly localization in the brain. We are talking about a powerful alkylating drug, belonging to the class of nitrosites. Although the precise dosage must be indicated by the doctor on the basis of the severity of the disease and the patient's health conditions, the indicative dose of attack is 100mg / m2, to be taken once every 3 weeks. Consult your doctor.
- Temozolomide (Ex. Temodal, Temozolomide Hospira, Temozolomide, Temozolomide Sun, Temozolomide Hexal): also in this case, the dosage must be carefully established by the attending physician. The drug can be used in combination with radiation therapy.
- Ipilumab (eg. Yervoy): the drug is a monoclonal antibody, indicated for the treatment of advanced melanoma. It is recommended to take the drug by drip into a vein (infusion duration: 90 minutes) at a dose of 3 mg / kg body weight. Each dose should be administered three weeks apart.
- Peginterferon alfa-2b (ES. Pegasys, Pegintron): take the drug at an initial dose of 6 mcg / kg per week, subcutaneously, for 8 consecutive doses; continue with a maintenance therapy at a dose of 3 mcg / kg per week, for 5 years.
- Aldesleukin (eg Proleukin): the drug is administered at a dose of 0.037 mg / kg of body weight intravenously every 8 hours. Do not repeat the administration more than 14 times. After the first course of therapy, stop the administration of the drug for 9 days; after that, the chemotherapy scheme can be repeated for another 14 doses, but it must not exceed 28 administrations per cycle. Consult your doctor. The response of the patient with malignant melanoma should be evaluated after at least 4 weeks of therapy.
