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About (Unresectable or Metastatic) Melanoma

About Mutations in (Unresectable or Metastatic) Melanoma

Why Mutations Matter

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Understanding Skin Cancer

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Managing Emotions

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Staying Motivated

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Glossary of Terms

  • Adjuvant treatment/adjuvant therapy: Additional cancer treatment given after the first treatment (for example, after surgery). The purpose of adjuvant therapy is to lower the risk that the cancer will come back (recur).1
  • Advanced melanoma: Melanoma cells that have spread beyond the original tumor. It can be classified as either stage 3 (unresectable) or stage 4.2
  • Benign: Not cancerous. A benign tumor may grow larger, but it does not spread to other parts of the body.3
  • Biomarker: A substance found in blood, urine, or body tissue that can give doctors useful information about a cancer.4
  • BRAF V600 mutation: A specific mutation (change) in the BRAF gene. The BRAF gene makes the BRAF protein, which sends signals telling cells to grow.5
  • Chemotherapy: Treatment that uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing.6
  • Combination therapy: Therapy that combines 2 or more methods of treatment.7
  • Epidermis: The outer layer of the skin.8
  • Immune system: A complex network of cells, tissues, organs, and the substances they make. They help the body fight infections and other diseases.9
  • Immunotherapy: A type of therapy that uses substances to stimulate or suppress the immune system to help the body fight cancer, infection, and other diseases.10
  • Lymph node (lymph gland): A small bean-shaped structure that is part of the body’s immune system. Lymph nodes contain lymphocytes (white blood cells) that help the body fight infection and disease.11
  • Inflammation: Redness, swelling, pain, and/or a feeling of heat in an area of the body.12
  • Malignant: Cancerous. Cells that are malignant can spread to other parts of the body.13
  • Melanocyte: A cell in the skin and eyes that produces and contains the pigment called melanin.14
  • Metastatic: Having to do with metastasis, which is the spread of cancer from the primary site (place where it started) to other places in the body.15
  • Metastatic melanoma: Melanoma that has spread from the primary site (place where it started) to other places in the body. Metastatic melanoma is considered stage 4 melanoma.16
  • Mutation: Any change in the DNA sequence of a cell. Mutations can have a positive effect, a negative effect, or no effect. Some mutations may lead to cancer or other diseases.17
  • Prognosis: The chance of recovery from a disease.18
  • Recur: Come back; when cancer comes back after it is treated.19
  • Resection: Surgery to remove tissue or part or all of an organ.20
  • Stage: A number, and sometimes also a letter, that describes the extent of a cancer in the body.21
  • Stigma: A mark of shame or discredit.22
  • Stimulant: A drug that speeds up your heart rate, breathing rate, and brain function.23
  • Targeted therapies: A type of treatment that uses drugs or other substances to find and attack specific types of cancer cells with less harm to normal cells.24
  • Thinking traps: Certain types of patterns of thoughts that tend to trap us in anxiety.25
  • Tightness in your chest: A feeling of tension or pressure in the chest that may be painful.26
  • Tumor: An abnormal mass of tissue that forms when cells divide more than they should or do not die when they should. Tumors may be benign (not cancer) or malignant (cancer).27
  • Ulceration: The formation of a break on the skin or on the surface of an organ. Ulcers may be associated with cancer and other diseases.28
  • Unresectable: Unable to be removed with surgery.29

Where to next? Learn about Understanding Treatment  >

REFERENCES

  1. National Cancer Institute. Adjuvant therapy. NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms. https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/adjuvant-therapy.
  2. Novartis Pharma AG. Skin Cancer. 2016.
  3. National Cancer Institute. Benign. NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms. https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/benign.
  4. American Society of Clinical Oncology. Biomarkers to guide treatment for early-stage breast cancer. Research and Advocacy. https://www.cancer.net/research-and-advocacy/asco-care-and-treatment-recommendations-patients/biomarkers-guide-treatment-early-stage-breast-cancer.
  5. National Cancer Institute. BRAF (V600E) mutation. NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms. https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/braf-v600e-mutation.
  6. National Cancer Institute. Chemotherapy. NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms. https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/chemotherapy.
  7. National Cancer Institute. Combination therapy. NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms. https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/combination-therapy.
  8. National Cancer Institute. Epidermis. NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms. https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/epidermis.
  9. National Cancer Institute. Immune system. NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms. https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/immune-system.
  10. National Cancer Institute. Immunotherapy. NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms. https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/immunotherapy.
  11. National Cancer Institute. Lymph node. NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms. https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/lymph-node.
  12. National Cancer Institute. Malignant. NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms. https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/malignant.
  13. National Cancer Institute. Melanocyte. NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms. https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/melanocyte.
  14. National Cancer Institute. Metastatic. NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms. https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/metastatic.
  15. AIM at Melanoma Foundation. Stages of melanoma. Understanding Melanoma. https://www.aimatmelanoma.org/stages-of-melanoma/.
  16. National Cancer Institute. Mutation. NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms. https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/mutation.
  17. National Cancer Institute. Prognosis. NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms. https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/prognosis.
  18. National Cancer Institute. Recur. NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms. https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/recurrence.
  19. National Cancer Institute. Resection. NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms. https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/resection.
  20. National Cancer Institute. Stage. NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms. https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/stage.
  21. Merriam Webster. Stigma. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stigma?utm_campaign=sd&utm_medium=serp&utm_source=jsonld
  22. US National Library of Medicine. Stimulants. MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002308.htm.
  23. National Cancer Institute. Targeted therapy. NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms. https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/targeted-therapy.
  24. Anxiety Canada. Thinking Traps. https://anxietycanada.com/articles/thinking-traps/.
  25. Folk J. Chest tightness anxiety symptoms. anxietycentre.com. https://www.anxietycentre.com/anxiety/symptoms/chest-tightness-anxiety.shtml.
  26. National Cancer Institute. Tumor. NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms. https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/tumor.
  27. National Cancer Institute. Ulceration. NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms. https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/ulceration.
  28. National Cancer Institute. Unresectable. NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms. https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/unresectable.