Melanoma Stages
Once the cancer is found in
your skin, it is necessary to determine its stage. In general, the stage of melanoma is determined according to
its size and its extension – the spread of cancerous cells into lymph nodes or other parts of the body: lungs,
brain, liver, bone, and spinal cord.
- Melanomain Situ
– also called stage
0, melanoma in situ is the genesis of the cancer cells; your five-year
survival chance is about 99.9%.
- Stage I
– at this stage, the
melanoma is invasive; although it
is well localized, the cancer can spread to other areas of your body. Your five-year survival chance is
less than 95%.
- Stage II
– stage 2 is considered as a
high risk melanoma; the cancer can spread into other areas of your body, and your 5-year survival rate is
about 40-85%.
- Stage III
– at stage 3, the cancer
is more aggressive; the risk of regional metastasis increases. Your chance to survive
5 years after the diagnosis is estimated at 25-60%.
- Stage IV A
– your survival chance has
decreased considerably to 9-15%;
the cancer is often associated with distant metastasis such
as distant skin metastasis and lung metastasis
- Stage IV B – at this stage, the tumor has become more
aggressive; the cancer has spread beyond your skin to other organs, such as lungs, liver and bone. Your
five-year survival chance has decreased considerably.
Melanoma
Diagnosis
Melanoma Treatment
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