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Northern California
Melanoma Center

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View the specialists from the Northern California Melanoma Center answer commonly asked questions on the video clips below.

• Click on the Windows logo for Windows Media video (download Windows Media Player).
• And the Mac QuickTime logo for QuickTime (download QuickTime).
• A broadband connection is recommended.

Dr. Lynn Spitler, Part 1

1. What is melanoma?      
2. Is melanoma different from other skin cancers?      
3. Do we know what causes melanoma?      
4. What are the warning signs of melanoma?      
5. Should a patient with the diagnosis of melanoma stay out of sun?      
6. What can you tell about a primary melanoma?      
7. What are the stages of melanoma?      
8. What are lymph nodes?      
9. What are regional lymph nodes?      
10. How does melanoma spread?      
11. If melanoma spreads where will it go?      
12. How do you determine if the melanoma has spread?      

Dr. Robert Allen

1. How is a melanoma diagnosed?      
2. Will the patient need further surgery?      
3. What is a sentinel lymph node biopsy?      
4. What further surgery would be needed?      
5. Do you ever perform surgery for metastatic disease?      
6. Does surgery cure patients?      

Dr. John Meyer

1. When would you use radiation in a patient diagnosed with melanoma?      
2. Is radiation ever used in the treatment of brain metastases?      
3. Are there side effects from radiation therapy?      
4. Are there any new radiation technologies that are up and coming for the treatment of melanoma?      

Dr. Robert Weber, Part 1

1. What is chemotherapy?      
2. When would you use chemotherapy?      
3. What are the goals of chemotherapy?      
4. What are the side effects from the chemotherapy?      
5. What chemotherapy drugs do you use for the treatment of melanoma?      
6. Have other drugs been looked at as options to DTIC?      
7. Has there been any success using these other chemotherapy agents to treat melanoma?      

Dr. Lynn Spitler, Part 2

1. What is immunotherapy?      
2. Would you describe the Immune Surveillance theory?      
3. When would you use immunotherapy?      
4. What side effects are associated with these medications?      

Dr. Robert Weber, Part 2

1. Are the immunologic agents ever combined with chemotherapy to treat melanoma?      

Susan Swiger

1. What is a clinical trial?      
2. What are the different phases of clinical trials?      
3. Who can participate?      
4. Why choose to enroll in a clinical trial?      

Dr. Andrew Kneier

1. What are some positive coping mechanisms that people can use when diagnosed with melanoma?