Melanoma Information

Treatments

Skin cancer accounts for nearly half of all diagnosed cancers in the United States. Melanoma is the most dangerous form of skin cancer because it can spread to other parts of the body. However, the good news is that when caught early, melanoma can be treated and cured. Goshen Center for Cancer Care is committed to offering the most effective and latest Melanoma treatments, including groundbreaking clinical trials. Our unique integrated approach not only attacks the disease, but considers the whole person. Physically, emotionally and spiritually.

Surgical Treatment

Surgery is generally the best course of action to treat early stage melanoma skin cancer. The surgical oncology team at Goshen Center for Cancer Care is trained to perform advanced surgical procedures specifically for patients with cancer.

Cryosurgery
Many early stage skin cancers can be treated with cryosurgery, also called cryotherapy. During this procedure, diseased tissue is destroyed by freezing it to -40ºC or below with liquid nitrogen, the only cryogen effective in destroying malignant and pre-malignant skin tumors. The tissue to be frozen usually consists of the entire growth and a margin of healthy tissue surrounding it. After the tumor is outlined, an instrument is used to freeze the area for about 30 seconds, and then thawed for two to five minutes. This quick-freeze, slow-thaw cycle is usually performed at least twice.

Patients may experience swelling and some pain during the first 24 hours after treatment, but there is no pain immediately after the skin is frozen. Cryosurgery is minimally invasive, quick and safe. And cure rates are high.

Radiation Treatment

Radiation therapy is one of the three traditional primary forms of medical treatment used to treat cancer and palliation of symptoms. It may be used alone or in combination with surgery or chemotherapy almost anywhere within the body. New techniques have evolved, enabling delivery of higher radiation doses to cancer cells while limiting doses to normal tissue. Today’s radiation therapy techniques available at the Goshen Center for Cancer Care offer higher cure rates and reduced side effects.

Radiation is generally reserved for the treatment of painful sites in patients with metastatic melanoma.

Medical Oncology Treatment

Medical oncology treatment for melanoma patients is generally reserved for cases where the disease has metastasized, or spread, to other parts of the body. Medical treatment includes chemotherapy or immunotherapy.

Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is a treatment in which drugs are given intravenously, by injection or by mouth. These drugs are given to destroy cancer cells by impeding their growth and reproduction. Chemotherapy is often used alone or in conjunction with radiation therapy or surgery. Chemotherapy can have unpleasant side effects, such as nausea, vomiting and mouth sores. New, and usually effective, approaches to prevent or moderate these side effects are utilized on every patient treated with chemotherapy at Goshen Center for Cancer Care.

In addition to offering many standard chemotherapy protocols, we continually revise our chemotherapy practices to reflect new and better treatments. We also have numerous clinical study protocols available as treatment options.

Immunotherapy
In the past, metastatic melanoma has been extremely hard to treat. But, an innovative treatment, Interleukin-2 (IL-2) therapy, helps patients fight cancer by enhancing natural compounds already produced in the body. This type of immunotherapy, or biological therapy, uses a genetically engineered injection of cytokine to boost the immune system. Cytokines are produced naturally in the human body during an immune response and activate the cells that hunt and attack abnormal cells, such as cancer.

Although this intensive therapy does produce side effects, it benefits the patient by only attacking cancer cells and ignoring good cells. Typically, patients are admitted to the hospital during treatment to receive the large doses over a relatively short amount of time. While IL-2 therapy is an important option for many patients with metastatic melanoma, it is a complicated therapy. Goshen Center for Cancer Care is one of a limited number of treatment facilities in the world to offer this type of immunotherapy.

Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) consists of a wide variety of therapies, including, but not limited to, dietary changes and nutritional supplementation, botanical medicine, spiritual care, counseling and other systems of emotional and social support, various physical therapies, homeopathy, hydrotherapy and massage therapy. At Goshen Center for Cancer Care, we use a variety of complementary therapies to stimulate the individual’s natural healing properties, including mind, body and spiritual approaches.

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, within the National Institutes of Health, created by the U.S. Congress, is dedicated to exploring CAM practices in the world of modern medicine, guiding the safe and effective use of CAM healthcare services. At Goshen Center for Cancer Care, CAM therapies are an integral part of the treatment program, providing a balance of conventional and complementary care.

Naturopathic Medicine
Naturopathy combines the latest research in modern medicine with time-tested, scientifically grounded, noninvasive, natural strategies for achieving total health and wellness. Our on-site, full-time naturopaths are graduates of accredited naturopathic doctoral programs. Naturopathic recommendations will vary with a patient’s specific cancer diagnosis, treatment plan and personal health history. Based on this information, a variety of strategies may be used, blending natural therapies with current advances in leading-edge conventional therapies.

While the goal of both conventional and naturopathic medicine is to treat and cure cancer, the primary strategy of naturopathy is to strengthen the body’s own internal disease-fighting abilities to heal itself, not just fight the illness. Naturopathic medicine also works to reduce the side effects often associated with surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Many of these side effects can be prevented or alleviated with the use of natural therapies, including the use of herbal formulas and nutritional supplements.

Nutrition
Nutrition is an important tool in preventing and treating cancer. A registered dietitian who specializes in cancer care provides patients with information and recommendations regarding dietary choices, enhancing their treatment program through nutrition. We encourage our patients to use nutrition to build and support their immune system, the body’s first line of defense against disease.

Psychoneuroimmunology
At Goshen Center for Cancer Care, we believe a patient’s psychological and spiritual conditions have a strong correlation to the body’s ability to heal. They can influence moods, general attitudes and one’s outlook on life. Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) examines how a patient’s mental and emotional states interact with the nervous, endocrine and immune systems, and how that interaction affects the body. By better understanding this mind body connection, we offer cancer patients effective methods that direct all their energies towards healing.