Stage IV Melanoma Cancer Treatment Options Explained: Immunotherapy and Targeted Therapy

Melanoma is the most serious kind of skin cancer, and its growth can sometimes be difficult to stop. That's why, at Penn Medicine, we offer two breakthrough therapies to kill cancer: immunotherapy and targeted therapy.

Immunotherapy is a treatment that uses your body's own immune system to help fight cancer. Normally, your immune system automatically detects and destroys anything it finds that can harm your body, but melanoma cells are invisible to it. The medicine used in immunotherapy supercharges your T cells so they become super strong, seeing through the disguise off the cancer cells. Your immune system can then do what it does best: Destroy what’s harming your body, and get you healthy again.

Targeted therapy, on the other hand, is designed to stop out-of-control cancer cells from growing. First, doctors perform genetic testing to learn precisely which genes are broken in your cells. If we find that the genes are broken, then we can tailor a personalized therapy that targets your specific cancer cells.

Targeted therapies come in pill form and can be taken at home, while immunotherapy is normally given by an IV drip as an outpatient procedure.

Learn more about immunotherapy: http://bit.ly/298lXKh
Learn more about targeted therapy: http://bit.ly/1U2oj9d
Learn more about melanoma: http://bit.ly/2z2J19t

A Penn oncologist can help determine which treatment is best for you, based on your medical and family history, stage of cancer, and genetic makeup.

If you have questions or would like to make an appointment at Penn, please complete the online form: http://bit.ly/2zPSQop

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