Melanoma Stages & Treatment Options
|
Stage
|
Description
|
Treatment Option
|
|---|---|---|
| 0 | The tumor is confined to epidermis and has not entered the dermis, a deeper layer of the skin. This stage of melanoma is also called Melanoma in situ. | The tumor and some surrounding tissue are removed surgically. Usually no further treatment is necessary; however, continued skin examination to evaluate for a new melanoma or other skin cancer will continue. |
| IA | The tumor is less than 1 millimeter thick. The outer layer of skin does not look cracker or scraped (ulcerated). It has not spread to any lymph nodes or other organs. | The tumor and some surrounding tissue are removed surgically. Usually no further treatment is necessary. |
| IB | The tumor is either less than 1 millimeter thick and ulcerated, or 1–2 millimeters thick and not ulcerated. It has not spread to any lymph nodes or other organs. | The tumor and some surrounding tissue are removed surgically. Usually no further treatment is necessary. |
| IIA | The tumor is either 1–2 millimeters thick and ulcerated, or 2–4 millimeters thick and not ulcerated. It has not spread to any lymph nodes or other organs. | The tumor and some surrounding tissue are removed surgically. Usually no further treatment is necessary. |
| IIB | The tumor is either 2–4 millimeters thick and ulcerated, or more than 4 millimeters thick and not ulcerated. It has not spread to any lymph nodes or other organs. | The tumor and some surrounding tissue are removed surgically. Immunotherapy may be given in cases of thicker tumors. |
| IIC | The tumor is more than 4 millimeters thick and is ulcerated. These are aggressive tumors that are more likely to spread. | The tumor and some surrounding tissue are removed surgically. Immunotherapy may be given. |
|
IIIA IIIB IIIC |
The tumor may be of any thickness. It may or may not be ulcerated. The cancer cells have spread either to a few nearby lymph nodes, or to some tissue just outside the tumor but not to the lymph nodes. | The tumor and lymph nodes that have cancer cells are removed surgically. Immunotherapy may be given. |
| IV | The cancer cells have spread to the lymph nodes, other organs in the body, or areas far from the original site of the tumor. This is called metastatic melanoma. | The tumor and lymph nodes that have cancer cells are removed surgically. Radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or immunotherapy may be given to relieve symptoms. |
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