Stage 4 Melanoma

Melanocytes are the type of cells found mainly in skin. They are also found in bowel as well as in the eye. These cells are concerned with the production of a pigment named melanin in the skin. Melanoma is a malignant skin cancer originating in these special cells. Stage 4 melanoma is often characterized by the spread of cancer to the distant lymph nodes. Since this is the final stage of cancer, treatment options are limited and the life expectancy is also low.

Stage 4 Melanoma
Early melanoma can be detected by checking if you have any unusual moles on the body. If your existing moles change their shape, color or become enlarged, it could be an onset of melanoma. In the later stages, the moles ulcerate or bleed. If the melanoma is diagnosed at an early stage, one can prevent it from becoming metastasized. Out of the total number of early diagnosed cases of melanoma, only one fifth suffer from metastasized melanoma. The staging of melanoma is done on the basis of size and appearance of the tumor as well as spread of the cancer to surrounding tissues. Stage 4 melanoma is the final stage of the metastasis of cancer in which the cancer has spread to the distant lymph nodes. Change in skin color and moles are the early symptoms of melanoma. However, when the cancer spreads to other organs, patients may experience metastatic melanoma symptoms pertaining to the organ to which cancer has spread. For instance, symptoms include coughing and chest pain if the cancer has spread to distant organs like lungs.

Treatment
Treatment for stage 4 melanoma is highly circumstantial. At this stage no treatment can ever cure the cancer, thereby worsening the malignant melanoma prognosis. Hence, the treatment is mainly targeted at reducing the symptoms and preventing further spread of the disease. If the cancer has not metastasized to distant organs, then surgery can be a good option. But before that, a biopsy is performed to check if the cancer has spread or not, if yes the site where it has spread is found out first. In case the cancer has not spread to distant sites, a surgery is performed to remove the tumor along with affected lymph nodes and tissues.

If the melanoma skin cancer has spread to distant organs or to multiple sites then chemotherapy is a treatment option. Dacarbazine (DTIC), is one drug that is often used in the treatment of stage 4 melanoma. The response time for the drug is about 6 to 9 months with a response rate of only 15 to 20%. However, those who are fortunate enough to receive multiple sessions of chemotherapy report a response rate of 30 to 50%. Chemotherapy sessions can extend the life of a person by 1 to 2 years, which is just enough to seek other treatment options. This may lead to better survival chances for the patient.

Palliative care is often the last resort when the treatment options run out. It aims at minimizing the pain due to symptoms of cancer as well as improving the quality of life of the patient. Radiation therapy is often used to alleviate the symptoms of stage 4 cancer. The whole emphasis is on prolonging the life of the patient as much as possible.

Life Expectancy
Melanoma is the rarest form of skin cancer. Unfortunately, it claims 75% of deaths due to skin cancer. Just like any other cancer, survival rate for melanoma is very good if diagnosed at an early stage. However, it goes on reducing as the disease advances to later stages, thereby narrowing the treatment options. Stage 4 melanoma prognosis is the worst amongst all stages with a five year survival rate of 15 - 20%. The survival rate drops further if the patient has recurrent melanoma. However, one must not lose hope since, the person has a very good chance of leading a long life if the treatments restrict the spread of the disease and if the surgery proves to be a success.

Stage 4 melanoma patients benefit a great deal if they participate in clinical trials. New treatment options are always invented during trials which may ultimately help patients to cope with the disease.