Melanoma

Melanoma can be an aggressive form of skin cancer that requires surgery, immunotherapy, and/or targeted therapy. At Verita Life we aim to support our patients throughout and after treatment, to manage side effects, boost energy levels, and take a healthier approach to day to day life.

We treat a wide range of melanoma cancers including:

While each type develops in different ways and requires different treatments, we use a range of bespoke support programmes to work alongside conventional cancer care.

You can find out more information about the other skin cancers we treat and how we might be able to help here.

The first sign is usually a change in an existing mole or a new dark patch on the skin. See a doctor about a mole or spot that:

• Is asymmetrical: the two halves look different
• Has an irregular, ragged, or blurred border
• Is more than one colour, or changes colour
• Is larger than 6 millimetres across, or is growing
• Is evolving: changing in size, shape, colour, or feel
• Itches, oozes, bleeds, or becomes ulcerated
• Looks different from your other moles

Melanoma that has spread can cause swollen lymph nodes, new lumps under the skin, or symptoms from the organ it has reached.

The stage is based mainly on how deep the melanoma has grown into the skin (its Breslow thickness), whether the surface is ulcerated, and whether it has spread to lymph nodes or beyond.

Stage 0 is abnormal cells in the outer layer of skin only. Stages I and II are melanomas of increasing thickness confined to the skin. Stage III has spread to nearby lymph nodes or to skin near the original site. Stage IV has spread to distant organs such as the lungs, liver, or brain.

Tests for BRAF and other mutations decide whether targeted medicines are an option.

Melanoma treatment depends on the stage, the thickness of the tumour, its genetic features, and your overall health. A skin cancer team plans it. Verita Life does not replace this care. Our therapies are designed to support it.

Surgery

Removal of the melanoma with a margin of normal skin, the main treatment for early disease, often with a sentinel lymph node biopsy to check for spread.

Immunotherapy

Medicines that release the brakes on the immune system so it attacks the melanoma, now the main treatment for advanced disease and used after surgery for higher-risk stages.

Targeted therapy

Tablets that block the BRAF and MEK proteins for melanomas that carry a BRAF mutation.

Radiation therapy

High-energy beams used after surgery in some cases, or to treat spread to the brain or bones.

Chemotherapy

Now used rarely, when other treatments have stopped working.

Finding the best for your melanoma diagnosis

Our internationally trained, expert medical team is here to ensure your care is medically coordinated and medically guided throughout your treatment. Before we look into how we can help we will:

Why choose us?

• World class care: Our international team of professionals are focused on delivering world class care alongside global oncology protocols.
• What works around you: Our treatment plans are created around you, based on traditional and complementary therapies, while addressing your stage, treatment, and personal goals.
• Here to hold your hand: Throughout your treatment with us and for as long as you need after, we’re here to provide guidance, education, and support.

Treatment for melanoma cancer care at Verita Life

Verita Life’s integrative melanoma cancer treatments incorporate medically-backed traditional therapies with holistic therapies designed to complement conventional care. Our melanoma cancer treatments include:

Metronomic Therapy

Metronomic chemotherapy is an approach to cancer treatment in which chemotherapy is given at a lower dose, but more frequently and with shorter or no extended breaks between treatments.

Metabolic Treatment

Metabolic approaches investigate how cancer cells obtain and use energy and nutrients. Cancer cells behave very differently to healthy cells, often heavily relying on glucose and alter their metabolic pathways in order to grow more rapidly than healthy cells. This is a broad area of research, not a single established treatment or diet and at Verita Life we use metabolic approaches within our wider, personalised treatment plans.

Local Body Hyperthermia

Local body hyperthermia is a type of integrative therapy designed to work alongside both integrative oncology care and conventional cancer treatments. Local body hyperthermia is a targeted heat-based therapy that delivers controlled heat to specific areas of the body.

IPT & Low-Dose Chemotherapy

Insulin potentiation therapy, or IPT, uses insulin alongside lower doses of chemotherapy as part of an integrative cancer treatment approach.

Herbal Cancer Therapy

Following years of research, our medical team have developed specific herbal treatment protocols to address varying types of tumours. We use proven compounds that stem from all natural herbal ingredients such as curcumin, quercetin and other anti-cancer therapies.

Biological Treatment

Biological treatments are supportive regimens that can sometimes fall under immunotherapy due to their nature, and work by harnessing the body's natural immune system or targeting precise molecular pathways involved in cancer growth.

Natural Killer Cell Therapy

Natural Killer (NK) cells are a type of lymphocyte, or white blood cell, that play a major role in the immune system by targeting and killing infected cells and cancer cells.