Previously we discussed the symptoms and treatment of Melanoma linked with the usage of Viagra; but even if your melanoma is cured through treatment, you may still be faced with long-term consequences and emotional trauma that will continue to affect your life for years to come.
Prognosis
Depending on the severity of the cancer at diagnosis and the success of treatment, melanoma may or may not be fatal. Doctors characterize the severity of the illness with various stages ranging from 0 to IV. While Stage I melanoma is typically curable, Stage IV melanoma is much more likely to result in death.
Melanoma is staged according to the size of the primary tumor, whether it has spread to nearby lymph nodes and whether it has metastasized to other locations in the body. According to the American Cancer Society, the possible stages of melanoma are as follows:
- Stage 0 The tumor is in the epidermis only and has not spread.
- Stage IA The tumor is no more than 1 mm thick. It has not spread to distant organs or lymph nodes. It is not ulcerated or growing rapidly.
- Stage IB The tumor is no more than 1 mm thick, but has ulcerated or is growing quickly. Cancer is not present in lymph nodes or distant organs.
- Stage IIA The tumor is between 1 and 2 mm thick and has ulcerated or it is between 2 and 4 mm thick with no evidence of ulceration. Cancer is not present in lymph nodes or distant organs.
- Stage IIB The tumor is between 2 and 4 mm thick and has ulcerated or is more than 4 mm thick and has not ulcerated. Cancer is not present in lymph nodes or distant organs.
- Stage IIC The tumor is more than 4 mm thick and has ulcerated, but no cancer is present in lymph nodes or distant organs.
- Stage IIIA The tumor is not ulcerated, but has spread to nearby lymph nodes. Nodes are not enlarged and the cancer is not found in distant organs.
- Stage IIIB or C The tumor may or may not be ulcerated. It has spread to lymphatic channels, small areas of nearby skin or nearby lymph nodes. Nodes may or may not be enlarged, but cancer is not found in distant organs.
- Stage IV Melanoma has spread beyond the original tumor and nearby lymph nodes into distant organs, such as the brain, liver or lungs.
The five year survival rates for various stages of melanoma vary considerably. For example, while Stage I melanoma has a five-year survival rate of 97 percent and a ten-year survival rate of 95 percent, Stage IV melanoma has a five-year survival rate of 15 to 20 percent and a ten-year survival rate of 10 to 15 percent. This means that, after ten years, 85 to 90 percent of people with Stage IV melanoma will have died because of their disease.
Understanding the prognosis and treatment of Melanoma caused by Viagra usage can be confusing and that is why we want you to have the most information possible.
If you would like to explore the possibility of bringing legal action to obtain compensation for a melanoma related to Viagra usage, please contact the experienced attorneys at Marc Whitehead & Associates, LLP at (855)-423-3666 to discuss your options.
For more information regarding the link between Viagra and the deadly skin cancer Melanoma, please download a free copy of our e-book, Viagra, The Unvarnished Truth-How The Link Between the Deadly Skin Cancer Melanoma and Viagra.