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Frequently Asked Questions

Expert answers to frequently asked questions about melanoma.

Family History of Melanoma
Question Does having a family history of melanoma increase my chances of getting it? Answer Christopher Miller, MD, Dermatologist & Moh's Surgeon at Penn Medicine responds: A family history of melanoma does increase your chances of getting melanoma. If you have a first degree relative (e.g., mother, father, and sibling) with melanoma, your

Recurrent or metastatic melanoma treatment options
Dear OncoLink "Ask The Experts," I am a nurse taking care of an MS patient who has a recurrent melanoma on the side of her face. She was treated with Thalidomide and it was stopped because she could not tolerate it. The oncologist's next step will be to try Temadar. I am looking for your comments on how to proceed. Julia Draznin Maltzman, MD,

Use of GM-CSF for the treatment of malignant melanoma
Dear OncoLink "Ask The Experts," Do you have any current info on the use of GM-CSF for the treatment of malignant melanoma? I would appreciate any help in finding most current info on the effectiveness of this treatment. Julia Draznin Maltzman, MD, Attending Physician at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, responds:The only

Melanoma Removal and Work-up
Dear OncoLink "Ask The Experts," I recently had a malignant melanoma removed. Is it important to do a wide excision and why? Do I need a sentinel node removal? Can anything else show cancerous cells in my body? Like a PET scan or MRI or CAT scan? Someone told me that every mole in your body could be found to have cancer cells. Is this true? Does

Ocular Melanoma
Dear OncoLink "Ask The Experts," Can you please give me some information on melanoma of the eye?Suzanne M. McGettigan, MSN, CRNP, AOCN, Board Certified Adult Nurse Practitioner and a Certified Oncology Advanced Practice Nurse, responds:Ocular (eye) melanoma is not staged in the same manner as cutaneous melanoma (melanoma of the skin). It tends to