Your Melanoma Treatment Team

When you are first diagnosed with melanoma it can be overwhelming.  You will meet many different doctors, nurses, and other care providers.  This section will hopefully clarify the role that each of these health care providers will pay in your care.  Your treatment team should include:

• Dermatologist: a dermatologist takes care of diseases, in the widest sense, and some cosmetic problems of the skin, scalp, hair, and nails.  Seek a dermatologist who specializes in melanoma.
  
  
• Pathologist: a specialist in pathology;  one who interprets and diagnoses the changes caused by disease in tissues and body fluids.
  
  
• Surgeon: surgeon is a person who performs surgery.
  • Surgical Oncologist: a doctor who performs biopsies and other surgical procedures in cancer patients.
  • Plastic Surgeons: a surgeon who specializes in reducing scarring or disfigurement that may occur as a result of accidents, birth defects, or treatment for diseases.
    
    
• Medical Oncologist: a doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating cancer using chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, biological therapy, and targeted therapy. A medical oncologist often is the main health care provider for someone who has cancer. A medical oncologist also gives supportive care and may coordinate treatment given by other specialists.
  
  
• Radiation Oncologist: a doctor who specializes in the treatment of cancer patients, using radiation therapy as the main modality of treatment.
  
  
• Oncology Nurse: a nurse who specializes in treating and caring for people who have cancer.
  
  
• Oncology Social Worker/Counselor: a person with a master's degree in social work who works with cancer patients. The oncology social worker/counselor provides counseling and assistance.
  
  
• Patient Navigator: health care professionals whose primary focus is to assist cancer patients, caregivers, and families in “bridging the gaps” within the health care system and decreasing barriers to care by utilizing resources.
  
  
• Psychiatrist: a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders.
  
  
• Psychologist: is someone who studies the mind and behavior of humans and other animals.

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