Melanoma, the most serious skin cancer, requires swift action. As your oncologist, I’m committed to rapid, comprehensive care to maximize cure chances.
I use cutting-edge tools for quick diagnosis and staging. Depending on your case, I may recommend treatment before or after surgery to enhance outcomes and reduce recurrence risks.
For localized melanoma, I work with top surgeons. If spread has occurred, I offer state-of-the-art treatments including immunotherapy and targeted therapies for specific mutations.
Even in advanced cases, modern treatments can significantly extend and improve life quality. My goal is to provide the latest, most effective treatments tailored to your needs.
What can you expect if you come to see me for treatment for melanoma?
When you choose me for melanoma treatment, expect prompt, personalized care. I’ll see you within days and remain accessible throughout your journey, with same-day responses to your concerns.
We’ll start by reviewing your existing tests and quickly arrange any additional staging investigations needed. After swift completion, I’ll present a tailored treatment plan, backed by multi-disciplinary specialist discussions.
I prioritize clear communication, ensuring you fully understand your options and treatment goals. Family involvement is welcome if you wish. Our relationship is key – I aim to align recommendations with your needs and values.
The importance of staging melanoma
Treatment recommendations depend on the melanoma’s stage, ranging from 1 to 4:
Stage 1: Melanoma remains within the skin, growing from the outermost to the next layer. We measure depth and check for ulceration during biopsy.
Stage 2: Grown deeper into the skin but not spread elsewhere. A lymph node biopsy is needed to ensure no microscopic spread.
Stage 3: Spread to nearby lymph nodes or skin areas.
Stage 4 (metastatic): Spread to distant lymph nodes or organs like lungs, liver, bone, or brain.
Treatment is guided by the stage at diagnosis. Regardless of stage, treatments and outcomes are continually improving. I’ll ensure we discuss up-to-date best practices throughout your care.
What is the best treatment for melanoma?
Your melanoma treatment will be tailored to your unique needs. I prioritize starting the right treatment promptly, using all proven, cutting-edge options.
Recommendations are based on your melanoma’s biology, stage, and your overall health. We conduct detailed molecular testing to identify targetable genetic drivers.
Early-stage melanoma typically requires surgical removal with follow-up. High-risk cases may benefit from pre- or post-surgical immunotherapy or targeted therapies.
For metastatic spread, I use strategic combinations of drug treatments and advanced radiotherapy. Our goal is to control the melanoma, eliminate metastases when possible, and maximize your health and quality of life.
Let’s discuss your personalized, comprehensive treatment plan today.
Case Study
Mrs JM, age 81, is a lifelong tennis fan. She played regularly throughout her youth and well into retirement. Because I was seeing her for treatment of metastatic melanoma, she was always a little sheepish about talking about her total lifetime sun exposure. It wasn’t until I had got to know her quite well that she admitted to using sunbeds before going on holiday each year to give her the best chance of coming home with a deep tan every summer.
She had had a melanoma removed from her upper arm just over 3 years before I met her. When she went to see her GP about a new swelling in her neck, she almost forgot to mention her previous melanoma. When the swollen lymph node in the neck was removed, it was found to contain melanoma. In retrospect, she had been more tired than usual for the last 2-3 months.
I arranged a PET scan and MRI of the brain, both of which were acquired within a couple of days of me meeting her for the first time. Unfortunately, the PET revealed that the melanoma had spread to a number of sites throughout the body – various bones, multiple lymph nodes, some deposits under the skin and also in the liver. We started treatment with immunotherapy straight away. The immunotherapy, pembrolizumab, was given as a drip into a vein for 30 minutes every three weeks.
Six months later, a PET scan showed an excellent response all over the body with a reduction in size and activity of all of the sites of disease. Many of the sites had disappeared.
Nineteen months after starting pembrolizumab, she developed slight, but persistent back pain. I repeated her scans and one of the bone metastases in the spine and one in the liver had started to grow. All other areas that previously had active melanoma were still controlled with the immunotherapy. I offered her stereotactic radiotherapy to the spine and to the liver. Both the spine and liver metastases received three radiotherapy treatment sessions of about 45 minutes each. Her tiredness got a little worse for 3-4 weeks after that radiotherapy, but not so much that she didn’t carry on with her life as normal. She had some mild nausea in the week after radiotherapy, but this settled quickly with some medication.
She completed 2 years of pembrolizumab with minimal side effects – and with excellent control of her melanoma. The spine and liver lesions have responded well to the stereotactic radiotherapy and never came back.
I always look forward to seeing her as she is clearly making the most of the time that this successful treatment has afforded her. The biggest challenge I had in caring for her was pinning her down on a clinic time to come and see me for her 4-year scan results. Unfortunately for me, this coincided with Wimbledon, so I was told – in no uncertain terms – that my appointment would need to fit around the tennis schedule.
Patient Testimonials
Dr Wilson has been outstanding throughout my treatment and beyond. He shows genuine empathy dealing with difficult conversations. He is completely honest and caring. I feel like I get treated on a personal level rather than just another patient. He shows understanding with any worries that I may have.
At all times James is excellent. He is open and trustworthy and avoids speaking in jargon. He provides a very high level of care – you would never believe he had other patients to deal with. Given that interactions with him are inevitably about difficult issues and he cannot always deliver good news he is fantastic to deal with. He is also very responsive at all times of day and really puts himself out to help his patients as best he can.