Is melanoma incurable?

Melanoma is a common disease, and there are many drugs available for the clinical treatment of melanoma. In addition to going to the doctor for treatment and prescription, melanoma patients can also choose to buy medicine at the pharmacy according to their own symptoms. However, patients are not pharmacists after all, so how to choose the right medicine becomes the key. When purchasing medicine, melanoma patients need to consider many aspects such as drug ingredients, drug efficacy and adverse reactions. At the same time, they also need to pay attention to the contraindications of drugs. Pregnant women, infants and other special groups need to be more cautious in choosing medicines. Since hospitals are prone to cross-infection and time-consuming queues, self-service medicine purchase has become a new trend. Here, we recommend several common home medicines for melanoma diseases to patients, hoping to help melanoma patients with self-service medicine purchase.

1. Recombinant human interferon α2b for injection

Ingredients: Recombinant human interferon α2b, human albumin, sodium chloride

Functions and indications: It can be used to treat acute and chronic viral hepatitis (type B and type C), genital warts, hairy cell leukemia, chronic myeloid leukemia, lymphoma, AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma, malignant melanoma and other diseases.

Dosage and Administration: This product can be injected intramuscularly, subcutaneously, and intralesionally. 1. Chronic hepatitis B: The recommended dose is 3 to 5 million international units (IU) each time, injected once a day or every other day. A course of treatment is 3 to 6 months. The doctor can adjust the dose according to the patient's specific situation. 2. Chronic hepatitis C: The recommended dose is 3 to 5 million international units (IU) each time, injected once a day or every other day, and a course of treatment is 3 to 6 months. The doctor can adjust the dose according to the patient's specific situation. 3. Genital warts: The recommended dose is 1 to 3 million international units (IU) each time, injected three times every other day a week. A course of treatment is 1 to 2 months.

Contraindications: Patients with a history of allergy to interferon α2b or other ingredients of this preparation, as well as patients with severe liver, kidney and bone marrow dysfunction should not use this product.

2. Recombinant human interleukin-2 for injection

Ingredients: Recombinant human interleukin-2, human serum albumin

Functions and indications: It is used to treat adult metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and melanoma and other malignant tumors. It is also suitable for the control of cancerous pleural effusion and ascites.

Dosage and Administration: This product should be used under the guidance of a clinical physician. Dissolve it with sterile water for injection before injection. The specific usage, dosage and course of treatment vary according to the disease. Generally, the following methods are used: 1. Systemic administration: subcutaneous or intramuscular injection: recombinant human interleukin-2.5 to 1 million IU/m2, subcutaneous or intramuscular injection 2 to 3 times/week, 4 to 6 weeks as a course of treatment. 2. Regional and local administration (1) Thoracic and abdominal cavity injection: For cancerous pleural and abdominal effusion, recombinant human interleukin-2.3 to 1 million IU/m2/time, try to remove the effusion in the cavity and then inject, 1 to 2 times/week, 2 to 4 weeks (or the effusion disappears) as a course of treatment. (2) Local administration to tumor lesions: limited to research and observation by oncologists.

Contraindications: 1. Patients with a history of allergy to the ingredients of this product. 2. Patients with high fever, severe heart disease, hypotension, severe heart and kidney insufficiency, abnormal lung function or those who have undergone organ transplantation.

3. Semustine Capsules

Ingredients: 1-(2-chloroethyl)-3-(4-methylcyclohexyl)-1-nitrosourea

Functions and indications: This product is highly fat-soluble and can pass through the blood-brain barrier and enter the cerebrospinal fluid. It is often used for primary brain tumors and metastatic tumors. It can be used in combination with other drugs to treat malignant lymphoma, gastric cancer, colorectal cancer, and melanoma.

Dosage and Administration: Oral administration: 100-200 mg/m2, taken all at once, once every 6-8 weeks, taken together with antiemetics and sleeping pills before bedtime.

Contraindications: Patients who are allergic to this drug.

4. Epirubicin Hydrochloride for Injection

Ingredients: The main ingredient of this product is epirubicin hydrochloride. Excipient name: lactose methyl parahydroxybenzoate.

Functions and indications: breast cancer, melanoma, colon cancer, primary liver cancer, esophageal cancer, rectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, gastric cancer, ovarian cancer, multiple myeloma, lymphoma, lung cancer, bladder cancer, leukemia, liver cancer, lymphoma, malignant lymphoma of the large intestine, colorectal cancer, intestinal tumors, malignant lymphoma of the bone, menopausal breast cancer, thymus

Dosage and Administration: 1. Conventional dose: When epirubicin is used alone, the adult dose is 60-120 mg/m2 per body surface area. 2. When epirubicin is used as an adjuvant treatment for breast cancer patients with positive axillary lymph nodes combined with chemotherapy, the recommended starting dose is 100-120 mg/m2. 3. For intravenous injection, the total starting dose for each course of treatment can be given once or divided into doses for 2-3 consecutive days. It can be repeated at intervals of 21 days according to the patient's blood picture. 4. Optimized dose: High doses can be used to treat lung cancer and breast cancer. 5. When used alone, the recommended starting dose for adults is up to 135 mg/m2 per body surface area, given once on the first day of each course of treatment or divided into doses on the first, second, and third days of each course of treatment, once every 3-4 weeks. 6. When combined with chemotherapy, the recommended starting dose is up to 120 mg/m2 per body surface area, given on the first day of each course of treatment, once every 3-4 weeks. Administered by intravenous injection. It can be repeated at intervals of 21 days according to the patient's blood picture. 7. Intravesical administration: Epirubicin should be instilled through a catheter and should remain in the bladder for about an hour. During instillation, the patient should change position frequently to ensure that the bladder mucosa can be exposed to the drug over the largest area. In order to avoid inappropriate dilution of the drug by urine, the patient should be informed not to drink any liquids 12 hours before instillation. The doctor should instruct the patient to empty the urine at the end of treatment. 8. For superficial bladder cancer, dissolve 50 mg of epirubicin in 25 to 50 mL of normal saline and instill 8 times once a week. 9. For cases with local toxicity (chemical cystitis), the dose can be reduced to 20 mg each time, and the patient can also receive 50 mg once a week for 4 times, and then once a month for a total of 11 times of instillation of the same dose of drug into the bladder. The doctor can adjust the number of doses according to the patient's condition.

Contraindications: 1. It is contraindicated in patients with significant bone marrow suppression due to chemotherapy or radiotherapy. 2. It is contraindicated in patients who have used large doses of anthracyclines (such as doxorubicin or daunorubicin). 3. It is contraindicated in patients with a recent or past history of heart damage. 4. It is contraindicated for intravesical instillation in patients with hematuria.

5. Hydroxyurea tablets

Ingredients: The main ingredient of this product is hydroxyurea.

Functions and indications: chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), melanoma, acanthoma nigricans, renal cancer, dull pain in the kidney area.

Dosage: 1. Oral administration, CML 20-60 mg/kg per day, twice a week, 6 weeks as a course of treatment. 2. Head and neck cancer, cervical squamous cell carcinoma, etc. 80 mg/kg each time, once every three days, must be used in combination with radiotherapy.

Contraindications: Contraindicated in patients with varicella-zoster and various serious infections.

Warm reminder: If different drugs are used at the same time, drug interactions may occur, causing adverse reactions. If melanoma patients are using other drugs, please consult a doctor or pharmacist before use. The commonly used drugs for melanoma treatment provided above are for reference only. For the health of you and your family, you must go to a regular high-quality pharmacy to buy drugs for melanoma treatment. Follow the doctor's instructions for usage and dosage. Read the drug instructions carefully before use, and use the drug according to the symptoms and in the right amount. I wish you a speedy recovery!