What is the prognosis for metastatic melanoma?
2 answers
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Last updated: Jun 18, 2010
Q
What is the prognosis for metastatic melanoma? Eye was removed 20 months ago due to eye tumor from melanoma, now has spread to liver. Patient also survived breast cancer earlier this year (had mastectomy) and chemo. Has a colostomy from a long battle with diverticulitis.
A
Andrew Putnam, M.D. is the director of the Palliative Care Program at Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center and Georgetown University.
Unfortunately melanoma in the eye that spreads to the liver is usually very bad. Everyone is different but when ocular (starts in the eye) melanoma goes to the liver, usually a person's prognosis is considered to be a few months. Nothing is sure but that is the expectation in most people
More Answers
Liver metastases of melanoma generally has a poor prognosis, but there are a few cancer centers - Sloan-Kettering, MDAnderson, UCSF, and NIH are making significant progress in treating this and there have been some survivors if the patient is willing to try experimental therapies.
