University:
Western Sydney University
Course:
MEDI 2003 | Clinical Sciences 2
Academic year:

2024
Views:

390

Pages:

2
Author:

Mariam A. A.

MELANOMA MANAGEMENT Example: the treatment for melanoma depends on the stage of the disease and the severity of symptoms. Surgery is the main initial treatment. Additional treatments can include chemotherapy, radiotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy. Future directions for further research include development of a monoclonal antibody targeting the CDK4 antigen in order to treat advanced melanoma. Treatment Target drug therapy Description ✓ can be reduced to manage skin cancer by reducing or stopping the development and spread of cancerous melanoma cells. For skin cancer, Tafinlar can be used which is a substance that can prevent the function of the mutated BRAF protein responsible for the growth of melanoma cells. Chemotherapy ✓ involves drugs that eliminate cancer cells to be injected or orally consumed by the patient. This form of treatment is not particularly effect for treating melanoma, however, it can serve to reduce symptoms and lifetime of affected individual. Immunotherapy ✓ stimulates the immune system such as by injecting cytokines so that it can fight off antigens present on cancerous melanoma cells. ✓ Specific immunotherapy involves the use of cancer vaccines could involve extracting an affected individual’s T Helper cell and activate it in the presence of an antigen that is specific to melanoma cells. This activated T Helper cell can be re-inserted back into the affected individual’s body whereby it initiates the appropriate immune response that is specific to the melanoma cancerous cells present in the patient’s body. Surgery ✓ When the melanoma (or skin cancer) is in the early stage, surgery can be performed whereby the localised melanoma cancer cells can be cut out. However, in later stages of melanoma, where it has spread to many different parts of the body and to large numbers, surgery will not be a viable option.