If melanoma starts to spread, the first place it usually goes is to the nearby lymph nodes. In many patients with newly diagnosed invasive melanoma we investigate the nearby lymph nodes with a procedure called a sentinel node biopsy. This is an accurate way to find out if there has been any early spread of the melanoma. Most patients diagnosed with melanoma today will do very well. However, there are some groups of patients, such as those with involved lymph nodes and those with very thick primary melanomas, who are at significant risk of recurrence of the disease.
Alpha interferon is a treatment that works throughout the body.
It can delay recurrences and possibly improve survival in patients who have involved lymph nodes or thick primary tumors. Interferon is a year long, difficult treatment, but is proven to delay recurrence and we offer it to high-risk patients. If melanoma has spread beyond the regional lymph nodes, it becomes much more difficult to treat. Many different treatments, such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and combination therapies have been tried. Each of these has a small benefit, but none is routinely curative.