Skin Cancer, Melanoma: Home Treatment

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Home Treatment

Home treatment after removal of a melanoma includes protecting your skin from overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays and regularly checking your skin for suspicious skin changes.

• Stay out of the sun during the midday hours (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.).
• Wear protective clothing outdoors. This includes a hat with a brim to shade your ears and neck, a shirt with sleeves to cover your shoulders, and pants. The best fabric for skin protection has a tight weave to keep sunlight out.
• Use daily a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15. Look for a sunscreen that protects against both types of ultraviolet radiation in the sun's rays—UVA and UVB. Use a higher SPF when at higher elevations.
• Avoid sunbathing and tanning salons.
• Perform a skin self-exam once a month. Check your skin and skin growths for any changes in color, shape, size, or appearance. Learn how to feel your lymph nodes to check for any swelling.
• Look for any diseased area of skin (lesion) that has not healed after an injury.
• Report any suspicious changes in your skin to your health professional.

If you are receiving chemotherapy or radiation for advanced melanoma, you can use home treatment to help manage the side effects that may accompany your treatment. Home treatment may be all that is needed to manage the following problems. If your health professional has given you instructions or medicines to treat these symptoms, be sure to follow them. In general, healthy habits such as eating a balanced diet and getting enough sleep and exercise may help control your symptoms.

• Home treatment for nausea or vomiting includes watching for and treating early signs of dehydration, such as a dry mouth, sticky saliva, and reduced urine output with dark yellow urine. Your doctor also may prescribe medicine to control nausea and vomiting. For more information on how to deal with these side effects, see:

  Cancer: Controlling nausea and vomiting from chemotherapy.

• Home treatment for diarrhea includes resting your stomach and being alert for signs of dehydration. Check with your health professional before using any nonprescription medicines for your diarrhea.
• Home treatment for constipation includes gentle exercise along with adequate intake of fluids and a diet that is high in fruits, vegetables, and fiber. Check with your health professional before using a laxative for your constipation.
• Home treatment for fatigue includes making sure you get extra rest if you are receiving chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Let your symptoms be your guide. You may be able to stick to your usual routine and just get some extra sleep. Fatigue is often worse at the end of treatment or just after treatment is completed.

Other issues that arise may include:

• Hair loss. This can be emotionally distressing. Not all chemotherapy medicines cause hair loss, and some people have only mild thinning that is noticeable only to them. Talk to your health professional about whether hair loss is an expected side effect with the medicines you will receive.
• Sleep problems. If you find you have trouble sleeping, you may sleep more easily if you have a regular bedtime, get some exercise during the day, avoid naps, and try other methods to relieve sleep problems.

Many people with melanoma face emotional issues as a result of their disease or its treatment.

• The diagnosis of melanoma and the need for treatment can be very stressful. You may be able to reduce your stress by expressing your feelings to others. Learning relaxation techniques may also help you reduce your stress.
• Your feelings about your body may change following a diagnosis of melanoma and the need for treatment. Adapting to your body image changes may involve talking openly about your concerns with your partner and discussing your feelings with your health professional. Your health professional may also be able to refer you to organizations that can offer additional support and information.

Not all forms of cancer or cancer treatment cause pain. If pain occurs, many treatments are available to relieve it. If your doctor has given you instructions or medicines to treat pain, be sure to follow them. Home treatment may help to reduce pain and improve your physical and mental well-being. Be sure to talk with your health professional about any home treatment you use for pain.

Last updated:	January 11, 2007
Author:	Shannon Erstad, MBA/MPH
Reviewed By:	Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine, Randall D. Burr, MD - Dermatology
Editors:	Kathleen M. Ariss, MS, Pat Truman, MATC