Melanoma is one of the most severe types of skin cancers. It develops in the cells that are responsible for the production of melanin, which gives them natural pigmentation. Melanoma might grow in the eyes too. In rare cases, melanoma can also appear inside the body, i.e., in the throat or nose.

The diagnosis and treatment options of melanoma are interlinked. It means that depending on the diagnosed stage of melanoma, the doctor will suggest a suitable treatment option. The procedures or tests used for the diagnosis of melanoma are:

Physical examination
The doctor will first ask the patient about their health history and physically examine their body to look for signs indicating the presence of melanoma.

Biopsy
A biopsy involves removing a sample tissue for testing. It helps determine the presence of a suspicious skin lesion. The sample is taken to the lab for testing. A biopsy has several types to it, and the doctor will recommend one depending on individual situations.

In most cases, doctors suggest getting rid of the entire growth if possible. A common technique used here is the punch biopsy, which is performed using a circular blade, which inserted into the skin, around any abnormal mole. Another commonly used technique is excision biopsy. In this type, the entire lesion is cut out and tested. Along with this, a small chunk of healthy tissue from the surrounding area is also removed.

Treatment
The treatment majorly depends on the stage of cancer.

Surgery

• Stage 0
  In this, the cancer is present only in the topmost layer of the skin. So, a biopsy will be used to get rid of it.

• Stage 1 and 2
  If the cancer is more serious, then the doctor might perform surgery. In this, along with cancer, some bits of healthy skin surrounding it are also removed.

• Stage 3 and 4
  In these stages, the cancer would have spread to the nearby lymph nodes or other organs of the body. In this case, the doctor will perform a wide excision surgery as a part of the larger procedure. In stage 4, too, surgery will be performed to remove cancer. However, in addition to the surgery, other treatment methods will also be used in both stages 3 and 4.

Immunotherapy drugs
The doctor will make use of checkpoint inhibitors, interleukin-2, or interferons for treatment.

Targeted therapy
Targeted therapy is mainly used for cancers that are caused by BRAF gene mutations. It includes the use of trametinib, cobimetinib, vemurafenib, and dabrafenib. If the C-KIT gene mutation causes cancer, then the targeted therapy includes nilotinib and imatinib.

Vaccines
The T-VEC and bacillus Calmette-Guerin vaccines are also used to treat the condition.

Radiation therapy
Radiation is used for shrinking and killing the cancer cells, which may be remaining after the surgery.

Systemic therapy
Systemic chemotherapy uses drugs like temozolomide and dacarbazine, which help in killing the cancer cells via the use of drugs.