Melanoma
Melanoma of the skin is a common form of cancer, but due to the efficacy of chemotherapy, the survival rates are thankfully quite high, as 1,3 million survivors are recorded annually by the US Department of Health. Women are diagnosed with melanoma at a younger age than men, as women are diagnosed with melanoma at age 60 while men are diagnosed with melanoma at age 66. The difference in melanoma diagnosis between the sexes is due to factors such as recreational exposure to radiation, health care interactions, and time spent in ultraviolet radiation. Nearly half of melanoma patients are cured of cancer as a result of receiving chemotherapy before the age of 65. For non-metastatic melanoma, surgical procedures are also available to remove the adjacent tissue and tumor. To prevent cancer remission, patients with stage 3 melanoma typically undergo surgical removal of adjacent lymph nodes and additional chemotherapy. Early administration of multiple chemotherapeutic agents increases the survival rate of melanoma patients to nearly 88%.
