The nurse caring for a client with a malignant melanoma should prepare the client for which of the following treatments? Select all that apply

Question

A) Cosmetic surgery to remove the mole without leaving a scar
B) Immediate radiation therapy to shrink the tumors
C) Surgical excision with lymph node biopsy
D) Biologic therapy with interferon alfa-2B

Answer 1

Ans: C, D
Feedback:
Treatment of melanoma is usually surgical excision, the extent of which is determined by the thickness of the lesion, invasion into the deeper skin layers, and spread to the regional lymph nodes. Current capability allows for mapping lymph flow to a regional lymph node that receives lymphatic drainage from tumor sites on the skin. This lymph node, which is called the sentinel lymph node, is then sampled for biopsy. If tumor cells have spread from the primary tumor to the regional lymph nodes, the sentinel node will be the first node in which tumor cells appear. Therefore, sentinel node biopsy can be used to test for the presence of melanoma cells and determine if radical lymph node dissection is necessary. Interferon alfa-2b is a biologic therapy available for adjuvant treatment of melanoma.