Watch the Northern California Melanoma Center specialists answer commonly asked questions on the video clips below:

• Section 1 (twelve video clips): Dr. Lynn Spitler, Part 1
  • What is melanoma?
  • Is melanoma different from other skin cancers?
  • Do we know what causes melanoma?
  • What are the warning signs of melanoma?
  • Should a patient with the diagnosis of melanoma stay out of sun?
  • What can you tell about a primary melanoma?
  • What are the stages of melanoma?
  • What are lymph nodes?
  • What are regional lymph nodes?
  • How does melanoma spread?
  • If melanoma spreads where will it go?
  • How do you determine if the melanoma has spread?
        
• Section 2 (six video clips): Dr. Robert Allen
  • How is a melanoma diagnosed?
  • Will the patient need further surgery?
  • What is a sentinel lymph node biopsy?
  • What further surgery would be needed?
  • Do you ever perform surgery for metastatic disease?
  • Does surgery cure patients?
    
    
• Section 3 (four video clips): Dr. John Meyer
  • When would you use radiation in a patient diagnosed with melanoma?
  • Is radiation ever used in the treatment of brain metastases?
  • Are there side effects from radiation therapy?
  • Are there any new radiation technologies that are up and coming for the treatment of melanoma?
    
    
• Section 4 (seven video clips): Dr. Robert Weber, Part 1
  • What is chemotherapy?
  • When would you use chemotherapy?
  • What are the goals of chemotherapy?
  • What are the side effects from the chemotherapy?
  • What chemotherapy drugs do you use for the treatment of melanoma?
  • Have other drugs been looked at as options to DTIC?  
  • Has there been any success using these other chemotherapy agents to treat melanoma?
    
    
• Section 5 (four video clips): Dr. Lynn Spitler, Part 2
  • What is immunotherapy?
  • Would you describe the Immune Surveillance theory?
  • When would you use immunotherapy?
  • What side effects are associated with these medications?
    
    
• Section 6 (six video clips):
  • Dr. Robert Weber, Part 2
    • Are the immunologic agents ever combined with chemotherapy to treat melanoma? 
  • Susan Swiger
    • What is a clinical trial?
    • What are the different phases of clinical trials?
    • Who can participate?
    • Why choose to enroll in a clinical trial?
  • Dr. Andrew Kneier
    • What are some positive coping mechanisms that people can use when diagnosed with melanoma?

Watch Section 1 Videos