But the medication is difficult to tolerate. Virtually all patients experience flu-like symptoms that can be quite severe. Treatment-related deaths have been reported as well. In experiments with lower doses of interferon, patients tolerate the medication better and live a little longer. Various chemotherapy regimens are used to treat metastatic disease, although the results are typically disappointing.
Chemotherapy is sometimes combined with immunotherapy.
Radiation therapy can relieve some of the pain caused by complications associated with metastatic tumor by reducing the size of a tumor located in the brain, the bones, the skin, or spinal cord. A major development in treatment is the melanoma vaccine. The vaccine prompts the patient s immune system to recognize and kill the remaining tumor cells before they reproduce and grow. Attempts to increase the immune-stimulating effects of the vaccine are being undertaken. It is recommended that all individuals, regardless of risk factors, examine their skin regularly for suspicious growths.