Melanoma Complications

Melanoma is the most dangerous form of skin cancer.  If detected early, most melanomas are curable. However, if left undetected, the disease can spread to other parts of the body making it harder to treat.   

In addition to the potential for the cancer to spread to other organs, complications of melanoma can include damage to deep tissue, as well as side effects from the treatments, which can include:

• fatigue: during or after treatment (particularly experienced with chemotherapy)
• hair loss: experienced with chemotherapy
• pain: can appear after surgery, and vary in severity
• scarring: after surgery; there are techniques to reduce scarring which can be discussed with a surgeon
• infection: there should never be redness or pus at the area where surgery was performed
• nausea: common during chemotherapy treatment; discuss nausea triggers with your doctor who can advise you about making dietary changes, or using medications, to alleviate nausea
• diarrhea or constipation: possible side effects of chemotherapy; as with nausea, it is important to discuss triggers in order to make appropriate modifications to your diet and physical activity