What kinds of treatment, including surgery, did you receive for melanoma?
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What is the treatment for melanoma?
In general, melanoma is treated by surgery alone. Doctors have learned that
surgery does not need to be as extensive as was thought years ago. When treating
many early melanomas, for instance, surgeons only remove 1 centimeter (less
than ½ inch) of the normal tissue around the melanoma. Deeper and more
advanced cancers may need more extensive surgery.
Depending on various considerations (tumor thickness, body location, age,
etc.), the removal of nearby lymph glands may be recommended. For advanced
disease, such as when the melanoma has spread to other parts of the body,
treatments like immunotherapy are sometimes recommended.