What to Know About Surgery for Melanoma
Surgery is the most common way to treat melanoma. You may meet and talk with the doctor first. That’s the time to ask any questions and talk about concerns you may have.
You may have surgery in a doctor’s office. You may also have it at a hospital as an outpatient. That means you don’t need to spend the night. During surgery, your doctor may first remove nearby lymph nodes. This is where the cancer is most likely to spread. Removing them can help keep it from spreading more. Then the surgeon removes more tissue where the melanoma was found. This helps stop the cancer from coming back at this spot.
You may still need other types of treatment before or after surgery. Talk with your doctor about what the surgery will do for you. Also ask what to expect after surgery.
Online Medical Reviewer:
Loescher, Lois PhD, RN
Online Medical Reviewer:
Schwartzentruber, Doug MD
Online Medical Reviewer:
Stump-Sutliff, Kim RN, MSN, AOCNS
Last Annual Review Date:
5/1/2008