What Is Stage Iii And Stage Iv Melanoma
Stage III and Stage IV melanoma is also sometimes called advanced melanoma, or secondary melanoma. This is when the melanoma has grown beyond the skin and has either spread to your lymphatic system that is, melanoma cells can be found in your lymph nodes or has spread beyond the regional lymph nodes to other parts of your body .
When the cancer spreads or metastasises to other parts of the body, away from the original site, the cells still have the characteristics of a melanoma even though they may now be growing somewhere else. The most common sites of melanoma metastases are in vital organs , bone, soft tissues and distant lymph nodes .
There Are Different Types Of Cancer That Start In The Skin
There are two main forms of skin cancer: melanoma and nonmelanoma.
Melanoma is a rare form of skin cancer. It is more likely to invade nearby tissues and spread to other parts of the body than other types of skin cancer. When melanoma starts in the skin, it is called cutaneous melanoma. Melanoma may also occur in mucous membranes . This PDQ summary is about cutaneous melanoma and melanoma that affects the mucous membranes.
The most common types of skin cancer are basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. They are nonmelanoma skin cancers. Nonmelanoma skin cancers rarely spread to other parts of the body.
Malignant Melanoma: Definition Diagnosis Symptoms Treatment Stages
Everyone lives in fear of certain cancers such as lung, pancreatic, bone, and brain, but one of the most common forms of deadly cancer is melanoma. It spreads like wildfire if not caught early. Sadly, many people dont notice the changing mole or spot until its too late. Invasive malignant melanoma symptoms are silent. Please take a few moments to familiarize yourself with the appearance of the skin cancer by looking over the pictures. The images depict the varying transformations and metamorphosis.
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Survival Rates For Melanoma Skin Cancer
Survival rates can give you an idea of what percentage of people with the same type and stage of cancer are still alive a certain amount of time after they were diagnosed. They cant tell you how long you will live, but they may help give you a better understanding of how likely it is that your treatment will be successful.
Keep in mind that survival rates are estimates and are often based on previous outcomes of large numbers of people who had a specific cancer, but they cant predict what will happen in any particular persons case. These statistics can be confusing and may lead you to have more questions. Talk with your doctor about how these numbers may apply to you, as he or she is familiar with your situation.
Clinical Staging And Pathologic Staging
To add to the complexity of staging, the cancer also may have a clinical stage and a pathologic stage.
Clinical staging takes place before surgery, based on blood tests, physical exams or imaging tests such as X-rays, a computed tomography scan, magnetic resonance imaging or positron emission tomography scans.
What doctors discover during surgery may provide more detailed information about the cancers size and spread. Often, some tissue from the surgery will be examined afterward to provide more clues. This process is known as pathologic staging, or surgical staging.
If surgery isnt possible, doctors will use the clinical stage when determining a treatment plan.
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What Does Melanoma Look Like
Our overview of melanoma pictures includes pictures of moles and other skin lesions, that you can use as a first comparison to any moles you might feel uncomfortable with. The melanoma pictures give you an idea of what melanoma skin cancer can look like. Signs of melanoma can differ in form, color or borders.
These signs are measured below each picture. Other characteristics such as diameter and evolution are not shown, as they are difficult to assess through static images. However, when you check your skin, make sure to check for these signs, too.
As melanoma is the most dangerous type of skin cancer, it is very important to visit a doctor when you feel unsure about a skin lesion. You will notice that all melanoma pictures are quite different from one another, making it harder to detect the disease by only a few pictures.
Disclaimer: This page contains visual content that might be perceived as disturbing.
What Are The Anatomic Stages And Prognostic Groups For Malignant Melanoma
Stage IA:
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Lesions 1 mm in thickness with no evidence of ulceration or metastases are associated with a 5-y survival rate of ~97%
Stage IB:
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Lesions 1 mm in thickness with ulceration noted but without lymph node involvement or lesions 1.01-2 mm in thickness without ulceration or lymph node involvement are associated with a 5-y survival rate of ~92%
Stage IIA:
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Melanomas > 1 mm but 2 mm in thickness with no evidence of metastases but with evidence of ulceration or lesions 2.01-4.0 mm in thickness without ulceration or lymph node involvement are associated with an overall 5-y survival rate of ~81%
Stage IIB:
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Melanomas 2.01-4 mm in thickness with ulceration but no lymph node involvement or lesions > 4 mm in thickness without ulceration or lymph node involvement are associated with a 5-y survival rate of ~70%
Stage IIC:
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Lesions > 4 mm in thickness with ulceration but no lymph node involvement are associated with a 5-y survival rate of ~53%
Stage IIIA:
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Patients with any-depth lesion, no ulceration, and 1 positive lymph node have a 5-y survival rate of ~70%
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T1-4aN2aM0 lesions are associated with a 5-y survival rate of 63%
Stage IIIB:
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Patients with any-depth lesion, positive ulceration, and 1 lymph node positive for micrometastasis or 2-3 nodes positive for micrometastasis have a 5-y survival rate of 50-53%
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Patients with any-depth lesion, no ulceration, and 1 lymph node positive for macrometastasis or 2-3 nodes positive for macrometastasis have a 5-y survival rate of 46-59%
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Cancer May Spread From Where It Began To Other Parts Of The Body
When cancer spreads to another part of the body, it is called metastasis. Cancer cells break away from where they began and travel through the lymph system or blood.
- Lymph system. The cancer gets into the lymph system, travels through the lymph vessels, and forms a tumor in another part of the body.
- Blood. The cancer gets into the blood, travels through the blood vessels, and forms a tumor in another part of the body.
The metastatic tumor is the same type of cancer as the primary tumor. For example, if melanoma spreads to the lung, the cancer cells in the lung are actually melanoma cells. The disease is metastatic melanoma, not lung cancer.
Where Else Does Melanoma Spread To
When melanoma advances to stage 3, it means the tumor has spread to the lymph nodes or the skin around the primary tumor and lymph nodes. In stage 4, the cancer has moved to other areas far beyond the lymph nodes, like your internal organs. The most common places melanoma spreads to are the:
- lungs
- brain
- stomach, or abdomen
These growths will cause different symptoms, depending on which areas it has spread to. For example, you may feel breathless or constantly cough if the cancer has spread to your lungs. Or you may have a long-term headache that wont go away if it has spread to your brain. Sometimes the symptoms for stage 4 melanoma may not appear for many years after the original tumor was removed.
Talk to your doctor if youre feeling new pains and aches or symptoms. Theyll be able to help diagnose the cause and recommend treatment options.
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Possible Signs And Symptoms Of Melanoma
The most important warning sign of melanoma is a new spot on the skin or a spot that is changing in size, shape, or color.
Another important sign is a spot that looks different from all of the other spots on your skin .
If you have one of these warning signs, have your skin checked by a doctor.
The ABCDE rule is another guide to the usual signs of melanoma. Be on the lookout and tell your doctor about spots that have any of the following features:
- A is for Asymmetry: One half of a mole or birthmark does not match the other.
- B is for Border:The edges are irregular, ragged, notched, or blurred.
- C is for Color:The color is not the same all over and may include different shades of brown or black, or sometimes with patches of pink, red, white, or blue.
- D is for Diameter:The spot is larger than 6 millimeters across , although melanomas can sometimes be smaller than this.
- E is for Evolving: The mole is changing in size, shape, or color.
Some melanomas dont fit these rules. Its important to tell your doctor about any changes or new spots on the skin, or growths that look different from the rest of your moles.
Other warning signs are:
- A sore that doesnt heal
- Spread of pigment from the border of a spot into surrounding skin
- Redness or a new swelling beyond the border of the mole
- Change in sensation, such as itchiness, tenderness, or pain
- Change in the surface of a mole scaliness, oozing, bleeding, or the appearance of a lump or bump
Treatments For Stage Ii Melanoma
As with stage I, stage II melanoma is typically treated with wide excision surgery, which cuts out the melanoma along with a margin of healthy surrounding skin. In the case of stage II melanoma, many doctors will recommend looking for cancer in nearby lymph nodes by performing a sentinel lymph node biopsy, which may necessitate further treatment if cancer cells are found.
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Signs Of Melanoma Include A Change In The Way A Mole Or Pigmented Area Looks
These and other signs and symptoms may be caused by melanoma or by other conditions. Check with your doctor if you have any of the following:
- A mole that:
- changes in size, shape, or color.
- has irregular edges or borders.
- is more than one color.
- is asymmetrical .
- itches.
- oozes, bleeds, or is ulcerated .
For pictures and descriptions of common moles and melanoma, see Common Moles, Dysplastic Nevi, and Risk of Melanoma.
There Are Three Ways That Cancer Spreads In The Body
Cancer can spread through tissue, the lymph system, and the blood:
- Tissue. The cancer spreads from where it began by growing into nearby areas.
- Lymph system. The cancer spreads from where it began by getting into the lymph system. The cancer travels through the lymph vessels to other parts of the body.
- Blood. The cancer spreads from where it began by getting into the blood. The cancer travels through the blood vessels to other parts of the body.
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What Do Stage 4 Tumors Look Like
A change to an existing mole or normal skin can be the first sign that the cancer has spread. But the physical symptoms of stage 4 melanoma arent the same for everyone. A doctor will diagnose stage 4 melanoma by looking at the primary tumor, the spread to nearby lymph nodes, and whether the tumor has spread to different organs. While your doctor wont base their diagnosis only on what your tumor looks like, part of their diagnosis involves looking at the primary tumor.
What Is Melanoma
Melanoma is a kind of cancer that begins in the skin cells that create the pigment melanin. Melanoma usually starts as a dark mole on the skin. However, it can also form in other tissue, such as the eye or mouth.
Its important to keep an eye on moles and changes in your skin, as melanoma can be deadly if it spreads. There were more than 10,000 deaths from melanoma in the United States in 2016.
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What To Look For
- A new flat, freckle-like spot
- A spot that is brown or black
- Change in the shape or colour of an existing mole or coloured spot
Melanoma appears most commonly on the back and legs. However, it can appear anywhere on the skin surface or in the mouth or eyes. Though less common in darker-skinned people, melanoma usually appears on the palms of hands, soles of their feet and nail beds.
Lymph Node Dissection Or Completion Lymphadenectomy
An operation to remove the remaining lymph nodes in the group is known as a completion lymph node dissection or completion lymphadenectomy. Again, you should discuss the pros and cons of the procedure with your surgeon.
Other tests you may have include:
Cancer Research UK has more information about test to diagnose melanoma and tests to stage melanoma.
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The Following Stages Are Used For Melanoma:
Stage 0
Stage I
- Stage IA: The tumor is not more than 1millimeter thick, with or without ulceration.
- Stage IB: The tumor is more than 1 but not more than 2 millimeters thick, without ulceration. Enlarge Stage I melanoma. In stage IA, the tumor is not more than 1 millimeter thick, with or without ulceration . In stage IB, the tumor is more than 1 but not more than 2 millimeters thick, without ulceration. Skin thickness is different on different parts of the body.
Stage II
- Stage IIA: The tumor is either:
- more than 1 but not more than 2 millimeters thick, with ulceration or
- more than 2 but not more than 4 millimeters thick, without ulceration. Enlarge Stage IIA melanoma. The tumor is more than 1 but not more than 2 millimeters thick, with ulceration OR it is more than 2 but not more than 4 millimeters thick, without ulceration. Skin thickness is different on different parts of the body.
Stage III
Stage III is divided into stages IIIA, IIIB, IIIC, and IIID.
Melanoma Is A Disease In Which Malignant Cells Form In Melanocytes
The skin is the bodys largest organ. It protects against heat, sunlight, injury, and infection. Skin also helps control body temperature and stores water, fat, and vitamin D. The skin has several layers, but the two main layers are the epidermis and the dermis . Skin cancer begins in the epidermis, which is made up of three kinds of cells:
- Squamous cells: Thin, flat cells that form the top layer of the epidermis.
- Basal cells: Round cells under the squamous cells.
- Melanocytes: Cells that make melanin and are found in the lower part of the epidermis. Melanin is the pigment that gives skin its natural color. When skin is exposed to the sun or artificial light, melanocytes make more pigment and cause the skin to darken.
The number of new cases of melanoma has been increasing over the last 30 years. Melanoma is most common in adults, but it is sometimes found in children and adolescents.
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Central Nervous System Changes
Patients dying of stage IV melanoma may exhibit changes in their mentation.Their activity decreases and they may sleep quite a bit. The Hospice Foundation notes that patients may not respond to conversation or questions 2. Patients with brain metastasis from the melanoma may lapse into a coma, a deep state of unconsciousness from which they cannot be aroused. Hospice states that even though patients are in a coma they may still hear what is said and feel pain. One of the last senses to go before death is hearing. As patients near death, they may experience sensory changes and hallucinate or hear things that are not there.
- Patients dying of stage IV melanoma may exhibit changes in their mentation.
- As patients near death, they may experience sensory changes and hallucinate or hear things that are not there.
Recurrence In Nearby Lymph Nodes
If nearby lymph nodes werenât all removed during the initial treatment, the melanoma might come back in these lymph nodes. Lymph node recurrence is treated by lymph node dissection if it can be done, sometimes followed by adjuvant treatments such as radiation therapy and/or immunotherapy or targeted therapy . If surgery is not an option, radiation therapy or systemic treatment can be used.
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How Do You Treat Stage 4 Melanoma
The good news is that even stage 4 melanoma can be treated. The sooner the cancer is found, the sooner it can be removed and the higher your chances are for recovery. Stage 4 melanoma also has the most treatment options, but these options depend on:
- where the cancer is
- how advanced the cancer has become
- your age and overall health
How you respond to treatment also affects your treatment options. The five standard treatments for melanoma are:
- surgery: to remove the primary tumor and affected lymph nodes
- chemotherapy: a drug treatment to stop growth of cancer cells
- radiation therapy: the application of high-energy X-rays to inhibit growth and cancer cells
- immunotherapy: treatment to boost your immune system
- targeted therapy: the use of drugs or other substances to attack cancer drugs
Other treatments may also depend on where the cancer has spread to. Your doctor will discuss your options with you to help map out a treatment plan.