Treatments and Therapies for Melanoma

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Fred Hutch Cancer Center experts offer comprehensive melanoma including advanced treatments and new options available only through clinical trials (studies). A diagnosis of cancer can feel overwhelming. We have an experienced, compassionate team ready to help.

Melanoma Treatment Tailored to You

You and your family are our top priority. At Fred Hutch Cancer Center, we offer comprehensive and compassionate care — personalized to you. You'll have access to the latest treatment options, clinical trials and supportive care services. 

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How We Treat Melanoma at Fred Hutch 

Surgery

Surgery is usually the main treatment for melanoma. Often this means your primary care provider or dermatologist removes suspicious tissue, and has it checked for cancer (biopsied), before you see a specialist at Fred Hutch. If your tumor is removed very early, you may not need any other treatment for melanoma.

Read About Melanoma Surgery

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapies are sometimes used to treat melanoma. They harness your body’s immune system to fight your cancer. One type is called an immune checkpoint inhibitor. These medicines block proteins that normally keep your immune cells in check, freeing them to fight tumor cells.

Read About Immunotherapy for Melanoma

Targeted Therapy

Targeted therapies work selectively against cancer cells, rather than affecting all fast-growing cells, like standard chemotherapy does. Many of them target a gene or protein responsible for allowing cancer to grow.

Read About Targeted Therapy for Melanoma

Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy is often given to people as a melanoma treatment and different types of radiation therapy are used for different situations.

Read About Radiation for Melanoma Treatment

How We Treat Ocular Melanoma

The recommended treatment for ocular melanoma (eye tumors) is based on the location and the size of the tumor. There are four treatment approaches for ocular melanoma.

  • Laser: If the tumor is small, laser treatment is sometimes an option.
  • Surgical enucleation: This is removal of the eye and is usually required if the tumor is very larger. Outcomes are excellent for tumor control, but the side effect is the loss of the eye.
  • Brachytherapy: A large comparative study of patients with medium-size tumors found that brachytherapy was a good equivalent option to enucleation. It is now routinely used to treat all but the largest tumors and preservation of the eye is a priority.
  • Proton therapy: Proton therapy is comparative in outcomes to brachytherapy and enucleation. It can be used to treat tumors too large for brachytherapy and is well suited to treating tumors next to the optic nerve. Ocular melanoma is one of the earliest uses of proton therapy and has been used to treat ocular cancers in the United States since 1994. Learn more about proton therapy for ocular melanoma.

Why Choose Fred Hutch for Melanoma Treatment 

At Fred Hutch, we understand this may be one of the most intense and challenging experiences you and your family ever go through. We are here to provide the care you need.

Team-Based Care from Specialists

Fred Hutch has medical oncologists, dermatologists and pathologists who specialize in melanoma. We offer the most advanced diagnostic, treatment and recovery programs. Along with treating your cancer, we also offer a range of services to support you and your caregiver. This is part of how we take care of you — not just your disease. From registered dietitians to Spiritual Health clinicians to social workers, our experts know how to care for people with melanoma.

Treatment Tailored to You

We view melanoma treatment as a collaborative effort. Your Fred Hutch providers will explain all your options and recommend a melanoma treatment plan based on the type, location, size and stage of your cancer as well as your overall health. As a member institution of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, Fred Hutch is home to providers who help define the national standards for melanoma care.

Clinical Trials to Improve Outcomes

Many of our patients receive promising therapies by taking part in melanoma clinical trials. These research studies are done by physician-scientists from Fred Hutch and UW Medicine. They test new treatments or new ways to use current treatments. Every advance in cancer treatment in recent years has come out of clinical trials. Through the Fred Hutch/University of Washington/Seattle Children's Cancer Consortium, we typically have more than 750 active clinical trials, which means more treatment options for people like you.

Melanoma Treatment FAQ

The most effective treatment for melanoma depends on the stage it is at. However, the primary and most effective treatment for early-stage melanoma is surgery. For more advanced melanoma, a combination of treatments is often used, such as radiation therapy and immunotherapy.

No, there is no such thing as nonmalignant (noncancerous) melanoma. All forms of the disease are malignant (cancerous).

Fred Hutch offers all standard treatment for melanoma. Our patients also have access to newer options or treatment combinations that you can only get through clinical trials.