Side Effects of Melanoma Treatment

The key to improving your quality of life during and after treatment is to be aware of how you feel. Never be afraid to consult with your melanoma treatment team when things are not going well. Keep in mind that everyone reacts differently to treatment and experiences side effects differently.   

• Pain: pain may be present after surgery. You should always report pain to your health care provider. Always be honest in your pain rating it from 1 to 10 with 1 being very low, 5 being manageable and 10 being high and unmanageable. Do not wait until the pain is unbearable to take medication - it is easier to prevent pain or to relieve it when it starts than it is to treat pain once it becomes severe. Your quality of life can be improved when you are made more comfortable.
• Scarring: surgery can leave scars. Talk with your surgeon about techniques that reduce scarring and ask how he/she will minimize the scarring during your surgery.
• Infection: redness or pus should not be present at the site. Call your surgeon or oncology nurse immediately if you develop a fever, have drainage, redness, warmth or pain at the site.
• Lymphedema:  fluid from the lymph nodes circulates throughout the body and when a lymph node is removed during surgery this function may be taxed resulting in the fluid building up in the area where the nodes were removed. Lymph nodes are found in the underarm, groin, neck and abdomen. Consult your doctor if you experience swelling in  part or all of the affected limb.
• Fatigue: during or after cancer treatment, especially if you are having chemotherapy, you may experience fatigue. Almost all people with cancer experience fatigue at some point during their treatment. Consult your health care team about your fatigue so that they can identify and treat it efficiently.
• Gastrointestinal Discomfort:
  • Nausea/Vomiting: Nausea can be common during chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiation therapy, and in advanced melanoma. There are medications that your doctor or health care team members may prescribe to help manage your nausea. Try to identify and triggers of your nausea. Diet modifications can sometimes help. Smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day often cause less nausea. Bland foods, those without odors, and non-spicy foods can often help. Always make sure that you are drinking adequate amounts of liquids throughout the day. In order to minimize the sensation of fullness during a meal, drinking liquids either before or after a meal, rather than during the meal, might help.
  • Diarrhea:  Diarrhea can occur as a result of chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiation therapy, or as a result of medications that you might be taking.  It is important to identify any triggers to diarrhea.  It is also important to share all of this information with your health care team.  Diet modifications can sometimes help.  Smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day often cause less diarrhea.  Bland foods, those without odors, and non-spicy foods might also help.  Always make sure that you are drinking adequate amounts of liquids throughout the day.
  • Constipation: Constipation can also occur as a result of chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiation therapy, or as a result of medications that you might be taking. A change in physical activity level, appetite, and dehydration can affect constipation. Notify your health care team if you are experiencing constipation. They can help to identify possible causes and the most appropriate treatment.