Early diagnosis and aggressive treatment of melanoma can help patients avoid invasive surgery.
Melanoma is the most aggressive and lethal of all skin cancers. Left untreated, it can spread beyond the skin and attack organs of the body including the lungs, liver, and brain. At Austin Clinic, our medical skin experts are skilled at identifying melanoma in its early stages so an appropriate treatment protocol can be developed and implemented quickly.
The Cancer Council reports that melanoma accounts for approximately 11% of all cancers diagnosed in Australia. It is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in men and women. If you have noticed any changes to your skin, it is important to seek treatment quickly.
Treating melanoma begins with a simple biopsy. A local anaesthetic ensures that patients are comfortable during the procedure. If the biopsy reveals that melanoma is present, a relatively simple surgery is generally recommended if the disease is in its early stages. In many instances, a biopsy and removal surgery can be done during the same appointment. The tumour is removed in an excision surgery, ensuring that little or no harm occurs to the rest of the body. More challenging tumours may require a different solution including radiation therapy, different kinds of surgeries, or targeted therapeutic drugs.