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More than one million new cases of skin cancer will be diagnosed this year. Melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer, will affect a projected 59,580 people this year. The incidence of melanoma has been increasing every year since the 1970s, yet through early detection and increased awareness great progress is being made towards treating the disease.

The Melanoma Program at Blumenthal Cancer Center is committed to innovative therapies and offers comprehensive care for patients with skin cancer. The program provides all available treatment options including surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy and access to current research trials.

Under the direction of Richard White, MD, new patients are seen in the Melanoma Clinic each Tuesday. Functioning as a multi-disciplinary team, the Melanoma Program consolidates the services of team members in a central location which allows patients to be seen by multiple specialists during a single visit. The team meets twice weekly to discuss treatment options for the best management and plan of care for each patient.

Evaluation and Treatment
The first line of treatment for most melanoma patients is surgery. If follow-up treatment is needed then the patient will be evaluated by the team of experts. A consult to the Immunotherapy Program at Blumenthal Cancer Center may be recommended. This program consists of a team of skilled healthcare professionals who care for patients receiving immunotherapy for melanoma, kidney and other types of cancer. This team works with patients and their families during initial evaluation, treatments and follow-up visits. Our team approach ensures continuity of comprehensive care.

Interleukin-2 and interferon-alpha, naturally occurring hormones, are two immunotherapy agents that can effectively treat certain cancers. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved interleukin-2 for the treatment of patients with advanced melanoma and kidney cancer. The FDA also has approved interferon-alpha for the treatments of individuals who had surgery for melanoma and are at high risk for the recurrence of this cancer.

Patients may be eligible to participate in a number of research studies.