Treatment of Malignant Melanoma
At Wake Forest Baptist, we treat melanomas in a multidisciplinary fashion. Different cancer specialist work together to provide the most advanced personalized treatment available.
See video below for an overview of melanoma treatments:
Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsies for Melanoma
The sentinel lymph node is the lymph node most likely to be affected by cancer cells travelling through the lymphatic system. Your surgeon can determine this sentinel lymph node by using a mapping procedure. Knowing which lymph nodes are affected can help determine how many to remove.
There are 2 ways to map the sentinel lymph node-using a radioisotope or blue dye. During the procedure, your surgeon will follow the path of the radioisotope or blue dye into your lymph nodes and determine which ones are affected. If there is cancer found in the affected lymph nodes, your surgeon will probably perform a lymph node dissection, to remove any affected lymph nodes. Your surgeon will discuss the best procedure for you, as well as what you should expect for post-recovery.
Click here for video overview of Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy