More than 75,000 individuals in the United States are expected to develop melanoma each year.
Melanoma is a cancer of melanocytes, pigment-producing cells in the skin, mucous membranes, and a specific part of the eye called the uvea. Although most melanomas arise in the skin, they can also occur in the mucosa of the head and neck, the female genital tract, the gastrointestinal tract, and the central nervous system. Sun exposure seems to increase the risk of melanoma of the skin. The 5-year survival rate of melanoma is >93% overall but drops to about 18% for patients diagnosed with distant metastases.
Depending on the stage at which a patient is diagnosed, treatment options can include surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiation therapy, plus hyperthermia. Like so many other cancers, the initial stage strongly correlates with the risk of recurrence, as well as the outcome of treatments. The earlier melanoma in Los Angeles is diagnosed, the more likely it can be cured.
Hyperthermia increases the likelihood of a complete response in melanoma cancers by upwards of 50% when combined with radiation therapy.
Breast Vernon CC et al. and van der Zee et al., Int. J. Radiation Oncology Biol. Phys. 1996; 35(4) 731-744 Head & Neck Valdagni et al., Int. J. Radiation Oncology Biol. Phys. 1994; 28: 163-169 Melanoma Overgaard J et al., Int. J. Hyperthermia 1996; 12(1): 3-20 Cervical van der Zee et al. Int. J. Hyperthermia 2002; 18(1): 1-12
