Not Just Another Day at the Beach

Decision-Making and the Treatment of Malignant Melanoma

By Karen T. Lee

Abstract

Students read about a case of melanoma that occurred over 10 years ago and then discuss issues faced by cancer patients and their families in making difficult medical decisions. Because the case presented is 10 years old, changes since then in the way intractable cancers like melanoma are diagnosed and treated also can be explored. The case was designed for a lower-division undergraduate course in general biology, but could be used with more advanced students.

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Date Posted

12/19/2003

Overview

Objectives

To define the terminology associated with cancer.
To understand the staging, treatment, and causes of melanoma.
To highlight some of the progress made in the staging and treatment of cancer since the real incident the case is based on took place.
To experience decision making from the point of view of a patient.

Keywords

Skin cancer; malignant melanoma; malignancy; biopsy; tumor; cancer staging; sentinel lymph node dissection

Subject Headings

Biology (General)

Medicine (General)

EDUCATIONAL LEVEL

Undergraduate lower division, Undergraduate upper division, General public & informal education

FORMAT

PDF

TOPICAL AREAS

N/A

LANGUAGE

English

TYPE/METHODS

Interrupted, Student Presentations