Schedule an appointment
866-419-5024
866-419-5024
If you’ve been diagnosed with melanoma, which is a form of cancer that begins in the bottom of the top layer of skin, it’s natural to feel a lot of uncertainty about what that means and what steps you should take next. You may have numerous concerns and questions, including:
If you’ve been diagnosed with melanoma, which is a form of cancer that begins in the bottom of the top layer of skin, it’s natural to feel a lot of uncertainty about what that means and what steps you should take next. You may have numerous concerns and questions, including:
Skin cancer, which includes melanoma, is the most common cancer in the United States, with cancer rates on the rise for many years. This is probably from a combination of better skin cancer detection, people getting more exposure to the sun, and people living longer.
Fox Chase specialists have extensive experience diagnosing and treating melanoma. We are proud of our highly team-based and multidisciplinary approach to treatment, and we support your care and recovery long after you leave the hospital. Our team members work together to provide some of the latest treatments and technology available, including:
Surgical removal is the main treatment for most melanomas. The extent of the surgery depends on the thickness of the melanoma, which usually are found when they are less than 1 mm thick. Fox Chase surgeons may use a wide excision to remove the cancerous area as well as some normal tissue around the edges. If melanoma causes visible damage, reconstructive surgery can help restore a natural appearance, improve the look and feel of scars, and ease pain or discomfort.
Fox Chase radiation oncologists may direct radiation to the lymph nodes if the melanoma has spread there. Radiation therapy can also be used after surgery or to treat melanomas that can’t be removed completely with surgery.
Our medical oncologists may recommend immunotherapy, targeted therapy, or chemotherapy to treat melanoma. Recently, there has been significant progress in treating more advanced melanomas with immunotherapy, which helps the immune system fight cancer cells. Targeted therapy drugs target specific parts of melanoma cells that make them different from normal cells. These drugs work differently from standard chemotherapy, which attacks both normal and cancerous cells. Fox Chase also is one of the few cancer centers nationwide with the specialized skills to perform isolated limb infusion during chemotherapy for metastatic melanoma, one of the most difficult cancers to treat.
In addition to offering the most advanced therapies, surgical techniques and treatment regimens, the Fox Chase culture of integrated services enables us to support and improve the quality of life for patients experiencing physical, emotional or psychosocial changes associated with their treatment. Our goal is not only to cure cancer, but to provide each patient with the best possible quality of life as well as they live beyond cancer.
As a National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, Fox Chase works with each patient to choose the treatment plan predicted to provide the best outcome for their disease.
According to studies, patients who begin treatment at a hospital that specializes in cancer, like Fox Chase, have a better chance of survival*. In addition, our doctors expand their treatment offerings as clinical trials at Fox Chase and elsewhere reveal the latest effective treatments for melanoma.
Request an appointment with our team. Call us at 866-419-5024 or complete the appointment form.
JAMA Oncology, October 8, 2015. Risk Adjusting Survival Outcomes in Hospitals That Treat Patients With Cancer Without Information on Cancer Stage.
333 Cottman Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19111
2325 Heritage Center Drive
Furlong, PA 18925
8835 Germantown Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19118
2701 Dekalb Pike
East Norriton, PA 19401
502 Centennial Blvd, Suite 7
Voorhees, NJ 08043
Disclaimer: Temple University Health System (TUHS) neither provides nor controls the provision of health care. All health care is provided by its member organizations or independent health care providers affiliated with TUHS member organizations. Each TUHS member organization is owned and operated pursuant to its governing documents. Temple Health refers to the health, education and research activities carried out by the affiliates of Temple University Health System and by the Lewis Katz School of Medicine.
