Treatment and care of children with cancer is usually provided by a team of health professionals called a multidisciplinary team. Members of this team are specialists in children’s cancers – they understand the differences between children’s cancer and adult cancer, and each team member brings different skills in managing care to meet the needs of both you and your child.

The team will be led by a childhood cancer specialist (paediatric oncologist). Other members of the team depend on the age of your child and their type of disease, and may change over time as your child’s needs change. A list of team members who might make up the multidisciplinary team can be found in the The treatment team.

Treatment for melanoma depends on the age of your child, the stage of the disease, the biological features of the cancer and other factors identified during diagnosis. Treatment will be tailored to your child’s particular situation, and may involve one or more of the following (see How is cancer treated for more detail).

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Surgery

Your child will most likely have surgery to remove the tumour and some of the surrounding healthy tissue. If the cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes, these may be removed as well.

Other treatments

Therapies used to treat melanoma in children are guided by treatments in adults. Immunotherapy and targeted therapies, such as interferon and BRAF inhibitors, may be considered for your child.

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