Getting diagnosed with melanoma can come as a shock. Whether your cancer is caught early or not until the later stages, it’s normal to wonder how skin cancer will affect your life. Aside from the physical aspects, melanoma can affect other aspects of your life like your finances and emotions.

Some people react to their diagnosis by trying to learn everything they can about melanoma. Others don’t want to think about it. Finding a healthy balance between being informed and not becoming overwhelmed can be tricky. Here’s an overview of what to expect in the weeks and months ahead.

Learn About Your Cancer Stage

You don’t need to be an expert on melanoma. But it’s important to ask enough questions to understand your cancer stage and outlook. As with other types of cancer, doctors rate melanoma based on a staging system. The stages range from 0 to 4. A higher stage means the tumor is bigger or deeper or has spread.

Staging depends on different factors. Your doctor will perform tests before deciding on your melanoma stage. They’ll start with a physical exam, blood work, and imaging tests.

They may also cut into the cancer cells and examine them under a microscope. This procedure is called a biopsy. A specific type of biopsy, sentinel lymph node biopsy, helps show if melanoma is spreading. Once you have more information about your diagnosis from testing, you can work with your doctor to decide the best next steps.

Research Your Condition (With Caution)

Learning more about your current stage of melanoma can be empowering. Educating yourself helps you ask the right questions at doctors’ appointments, advocate for testing and treatment options, and make informed decisions about your care. However, a lot of information is available online, and it’s not all reliable or up to date.

Ask your health care provider for suggestions on where to read up on your condition. They may give you reading material to take home or videos you can watch online. Credible organizations like the American Cancer Society and the American Academy of Dermatology are good places to start. Be sure to check the date on any research you read because new information about melanoma is discovered all the time.

Blogs and websites where people share their melanoma stories can be helpful, but they shouldn’t be viewed as medical advice. Always bring your questions or thoughts back to your health care team for a professional opinion you can trust. Your situation may be different from that of the people you’re reading about, so you shouldn’t assume that treatments work the same for everyone.

Put Your Prognosis in Perspective

Your prognosis, or outlook, predicts how melanoma will affect your health and life expectancy. Statistics on survival rates can help you prepare for what’s ahead. These numbers are based on data from other people with melanoma. However, they won’t necessarily apply to you. Here are the stages of melanoma:

• Localized melanoma (stages 0 to 2) — Melanoma has not spread beyond its original area. In the past, people with localized melanoma had a 98.4 percent likelihood of living for at least five years after diagnosis.
• Regional melanoma (stage 3) — Melanoma has begun to spread but is still relatively contained. The five-year survival rate is 63.6 percent.
• Stage 4 melanoma — Melanoma has spread to other parts of the body. The five-year survival rate for this stage is 22.5 percent.

Fortunately, melanoma treatments are more effective now than ever before. Survival rates should continue to improve with the more widespread use of better treatments.

Understand Your Treatment Options

There are many ways to treat melanoma. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved some options, while others are experimental and only available in clinical trials. You’ll work closely with your melanoma care team to decide on the best treatment options, which may include:

• Surgery
• Chemotherapy and radiation
• Immunotherapy and targeted therapy
• Clinical trials

Surgery

The first step in treating melanoma is usually surgery. A surgeon removes the cancer cells directly from the skin.

Chemotherapy and Radiation

Depending on your cancer stage, your doctor may also recommend chemotherapy or radiation treatment. Chemotherapy involves taking cancer drugs by mouth or injection. These medications may kill the cancer cells or stop them from spreading. In radiation therapy, high-dose X-rays are used to target cancer cells.

Immunotherapy and Targeted Therapy

There are also several new melanoma treatments that you can discuss with your doctor. Immunotherapy is a form of treatment that strengthens your immune system. It helps your body defend itself against cancer. Targeted therapy is tailored treatment based on your genes. Your doctor will map out the genetic risk factors linked to your type of skin cancer. Then, the treatment is designed to target those genes.

Clinical Trials

People with melanoma can also consider joining a clinical trial. Clinical trials give you access to cutting-edge treatments and free melanoma care, but remember that most of these trials research experimental medication that might not always work for you. Your participation also helps researchers to develop new treatments for others.

Sometimes, with advanced melanoma, progression-free survival is a more realistic goal than cancer treatment. Progression-free survival is about living well with melanoma. Rather than trying to “cure cancer,” you’ll focus on ways to manage your symptoms, monitor for changes, and maintain good overall health.

Get Familiar With Your Insurance Coverage

Melanoma treatment can be expensive. It’s important to know how your insurance plan works. For example, you may need to be preapproved by your insurance company before having certain treatments or procedures. This process is called preauthorization.

Understanding your insurance costs, such as deductibles and copays, will help you plan for expenses. You’ll also want to find out if your dermatologist, oncologist, and cancer treatment facility are in your insurance network. Being in network or out of network can greatly affect how much you pay for medical care.

Find a Support System

Doctors’ visits can seem rushed, especially if you’re nervous. Keeping a notebook of questions or concerns can help you stay on track during appointments. You can also take notes at the doctor’s office or ask for the phone number of a nurse you can call if you have questions when you get home.

If you feel like your head is spinning after your appointment, maybe you need a second set of eyes and ears. Ask a friend or family member to join you for your next checkup or testing appointment. Having another person with you to process the information and ask questions can relieve some pressure and give you support.

For emotional support, your doctor or local hospital can refer you to a therapist who specializes in people with cancer. You can also get help from a counselor over the phone by calling the Cancer Support Community’s Helpline at 888-793-9355.

Finding a community of people who share your diagnosis can make all the difference in your life after diagnosis. Joining online or in-person support groups with others who have melanoma can provide you with valuable information and encouragement. Hearing their experiences with treatment, side effects, and daily challenges and triumphs will help you feel less alone.

Talk With Others Who Understand

If you have melanoma, it can help to have the support of others who understand. MyMelanomaTeam is the social network for people with melanoma and their loved ones. Members come together to ask questions, give advice, and share their experiences with others who understand life with melanoma.

How did life change after receiving a diagnosis of melanoma? What types of treatment have you tried? Share your thoughts in the comments below, or start a conversation by posting on MyMelanomaTeam.