Exercise, detoxification and relaxation are extremely important for the treatment of any disorder, but specifically for creating the ideal internal environment for beating cancers like melanoma. Yoga is a form of exercise, that includes poses ("asanas") as well as meditative breathing and mind-states as well. The mind-body connection is often discussed when it comes to cancer, and treatments that include mind-body components (like yoga) can be extremely effective and emotionally enjoyable.
[ Acupuncture may Acupuncture can help to mitigate some of the symptoms that come with other melanoma treatments (such as chemotherapy) but may also be able to help correct some underlying imbalance that are contributing to the cancer as well. Acupuncture may reduce general pain, and be a way to reduce pain medication intake.
1 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3481605.stm
2 http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/02/health/power-of-positive-thinking-may-have-a-health-benefit-study-says.html
3 http://brainhelper.org/index.php/Stress-News/The-Benefits-of-Optimism-for-Stress-Management.html
4 http://74.125.155.132/search?q=cache:http://www.ppc.sas.upenn.edu/cvabs.htm%23ab106 (see abstract 111); http://stress.about.com/od/optimismspirituality/a/optimismbenefit.htm
5 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TheEndurance:Shackleton'sLegendaryAntarctic_Expedition
6 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellen_keller
Many patients who beat melanoma say that one of the most important things they did that helped a lot was maintaining and positive attitude and positive thinking. The most important attitude of all is to remember and repeat to yourself that you can win! So don’t ever give up. Take mental breaks from your fight with melanoma to get out, get away and forget about it. And when you start feeling down, repeat positive thoughts to yourself. Remember this: if you think it, you can make it happen.
After melanoma is confirmed by a melanoma biopsy, and the stage of melanoma is determined, there are a broad number of drug treatments that are used to reduce or eliminate melanoma tumors, and to combat the spread of melanoma. Some treatments are used by themselves, while other protocols incorporate multiple treatments together, designed to improve the results.
Some melanoma treatments are used when tumors are present and measurable. These treatments tend to focus on the goal of reducing or eliminating tumors that are already present. Other treatments are used in what is called the "adjuvant" setting, which means that there is no evidence of melanoma tumors in the body. These adjuvant treatments focus on the goal of preventing melanoma tumors from forming in the future.
Melanoma treatment depends on the stage of growth it has reached. In most cases, your doctor will recommend surgery to remove the melanoma tumors. For more advanced stages, your doctor will also likely recommend additional treatment which could include immunotherapy or chemotherapy.
The typical protocols for melanoma treatment are based on Stages is outlined here:
Stage Protocol for Melanoma Treatment
After treatment, your doctor will want to see you every 3 to 6 months for the next 5 years. During these visits, your doctor will check to see whether the cancer has returned and if you have any new melanomas. If the melanoma has metastasized, you will also most likely need to get new scans, either a CT scan or an MRI or a PET scan, depending on the stage the melanoma reached.
Additionally, experimental treatments are treatments being tested in a clinical trial. In order for you to get into a clinical trial to receive the experimental treatment, you need to find it, qualify for it, and get accepted into it. Once accepted, many trials will pay for the melanoma treatment, and some will even pay for travel expenses.
There are a broad number of drug treatments that are used to reduce or eliminate melanoma tumors, and combat the spread of melanoma. Some treatments are used by themselves, while other protocols incorporate multiple treatments together, designed to improve the results.
Some treatments are used when tumors are present and measurable. These treatments tend to focus on the goal of reducing or eliminate tumors that are already present. Other treatments are used in what is called the "adjuvant" setting, which means that there is no evidence of melanoma tumors in the body. These adjuvant treatments focus on the goal of preventing melanoma tumors from forming in the future.
Experimental treatments are usually being tested in a clinical trial. In order for you to get into a clinical trial to receive the experimental treatment, you need to find it, qualify for it, and get accepted into it. Once accepted, many trials will pay for the treatment, and some will even pay for travel expenses.
If the melanoma is Stage 2 or higher, your doctor may recommend one of a number of treatments used to stop the growth of melanoma, kill tumors, or prevent recurrence. The only FDA approved “standard” treatment for melanoma is called Interferon. Through a number of studies this treatment has been shown to have some positive effect on the chances that melanoma spreads or recurs.
After melanoma is confirmed by a melanoma biopsy, and the stage of melanoma is determinMelanoma determined, there are a broad number of drug treatments that are used to reduce or eliminate melanoma tumors, and to combat the spread of melanoma. Some treatments are used by themselves, while other protocols incorporate multiple treatments together, designed to improve the results.
Some melanoma treatments are used when tumors are present and measurable. These treatments tend to focus on the goal of reducing or eliminating tumors that are already present. Other treatments are used in what is called the "adjuvant" setting, which means that there is no evidence of melanoma tumors in the body. These adjuvant treatments focus on the goal of preventing melanoma tumors from forming in the future.
Melanoma treatment depends on the stage of growth it has reached. In most cases, your doctor will recommend surgery to remove the melanoma tumors. For more advanced stages, your doctor will also likely recommend additional treatment which could include immunotherapy or chemotherapy.
The typical protocols for melanoma treatment are based on Stages is outlined here:
Stage Protocol for Melanoma Treatment
After treatment, your doctor will want to see you every 3 to 6 months for the next 5 years. During these visits, your doctor will check to see whether the cancer has returned and if you have any new melanomas. If the melanoma has metastasized, you will also most likely need to get new scans, either a CT scan or an MRI or a PET scan, depending on the stage the melanoma reached.
Additionally, experimental treatments are treatments being tested in a clinical trial. In order for you to get into a clinical trial to receive the experimental treatment, you need to find it, qualify for it, and get accepted into it. Once accepted, many trials will pay for the melanoma treatment, and some will even pay for travel expenses.
There is a lot of evidence that your mind can have a very positive effect on the success of the treatment of melanoma. In fact, the science of Psychoneuroimmunology is built around the idea that your thinking, emotions, and mental state can have a profound affect and influence on your body and your immune system. Many melanoma patients have used mind-body techniques to help them significantly in their treatment and its successful outcome.
Below is a list of a number of strategies to use your mind to help in your battle against melanoma. Not every strategy is going to work for everyone, so don’t feel bad if you try a strategy and it doesn’t work for you. These strategies are listed here because they have worked for others, and what is important is to try and find the strategies that work for you. How will you know what could work for you? Read through them and try the ones that sound or feel like they fit with who you are. and-melanoma
There is a lot of science that suggests that music can positively affect the strength of your immune system.1 This is because music can positively affect our mood and emotions, which then affect our immune and autonomic function. In fact, there is now some music that is designed specifically to reduce stress and promote healing through rhythm, tone, patterns, etc. Hence, music can actually become a part of your therapeutic program and aid you in your fight against melanoma.
Psychotherapy can be useful in the treatment of many health challenges including Melanoma. Your mental and emotional health is often interwoven with your physical health. In fact, there is a lot of research that suggests that psychotherapy can help significantly in the recovery from illness and health challenge.1
