Skin cancer (melanoma)
What will happen to me?
If you've been told that you have melanoma, it's normal to want to know what will happen to you. We can give you a general idea of what has happened to people with melanoma. But it's important to remember that everyone is different, and there's no way of knowing exactly what will happen.
If you don't want to look at statistics about what tends to happen to people with melanomas, then skip this section. If you
do look at these numbers, keep in mind that you are not a statistic. Everyone responds to cancer treatment in a different
way.
Overall, people who find their melanoma early and get treatment do well. If you are like most people, and your melanoma is found before it has time to spread, there is a good chance that you will be cured. More than 9 out of 10 people with a melanoma that is found early are still alive after five years.
1 Most studies follow people who have had treatment for a melanoma for five years. If you have been clear of cancer for that
length of time, doctors tend to say you are cured.
Source:
Guill CK, Orengo I.
Cutaneous malignant melanoma.
Dermatology Nursing. 2001; 13: 210-213.
Guill CK, Orengo I.
Cutaneous malignant melanoma.
Dermatology Nursing. 2001; 13: 210-213.
Some things seem to be important in terms of how long people with a melanoma live. They are:
2
Source:
Balch CM, Soong SJ, Shaw HM, et al.
An analysis of prognostic factors in 8500 patients with cutaneous melanoma.
In: Balch CM, Houghton Anilton GW, et al (editors). Cutaneous melanoma. 2nd edition. Ellis Horwood, New York, U.S.A.; 1992.
Balch CM, Soong SJ, Shaw HM, et al.
An analysis of prognostic factors in 8500 patients with cutaneous melanoma.
In: Balch CM, Houghton Anilton GW, et al (editors). Cutaneous melanoma. 2nd edition. Ellis Horwood, New York, U.S.A.; 1992.
- How thick the melanoma is
- Whether it has spread to the
lymph nodes
Lymph nodes (also called glands) are small, bean-shaped lumps that you cannot usually see or easily feel. They are located in various parts of the body, such as the neck, armpit and groin. Lymph nodes filter the lymph fluid and remove unusual things, such as bacteria and cancer cells.lymph nodes nearby - How it looks under a microscope.
If your melanoma has not spread to your lymph nodes or to other parts of your body, there are two other things that determine
what may happen to you.
-
Your sex: Women with a melanoma seem to do better than men.
Source:
Balch CM, Soong SJ, Shaw HM, et al.
An analysis of prognostic factors in 8500 patients with cutaneous melanoma.
In: Balch CM, Houghton Anilton GW, et al (editors). Cutaneous melanoma. 2nd edition. Ellis Horwood, New York, U.S.A.; 1992.
2 -
Where the melanoma is on your body: People whose melanoma is on the trunk of their body (between their neck and their waist) seem to do less well than people
whose melanoma is on their arms or legs.
Source:
Balch CM, Smalley RV, Bartolucci AA, et al.
A randomized prospective clinical trial of adjuvant C. parvum immunotherapy in 260 patients with clinically localized melanoma (Stage I): prognostic factors analysis and preliminary results of immunotherapy.
Cancer. 1982; 49: 1079-1084.
3 Also, people whose melanoma is on their scalp or neck seem to do less well than people whose melanoma is somewhere else.Source:
Lachiewicz AM, Berwick M, Wiggins CL, et al.
Survival differences between patients with scalp or neck melanoma and those with melanoma of other sites in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program.
Archives of Dermatology. 2008; 144: 515-521.
4
After your melanoma is removed, you may wonder whether it will come back. There are three places a melanoma can come back:
5
Source:
Shumate CR, Urist MM, Maddox WA.
Melanoma recurrence surveillance: patient or physician based?
Annals of Surgery. 1995; 221: 566-569, discussion 569-571.
Shumate CR, Urist MM, Maddox WA.
Melanoma recurrence surveillance: patient or physician based?
Annals of Surgery. 1995; 221: 566-569, discussion 569-571.
- Close to the same spot on your skin
- In the lymph nodes nearby or other parts of your body nearby
- In an organ somewhere else in your body, such as your lungs or brain.
Source:
Balch CM, Soong SJ, Shaw HM, et al.
An analysis of prognostic factors in 8500 patients with cutaneous melanoma.
In: Balch CM, Houghton Anilton GW, et al (editors). Cutaneous melanoma. 2nd edition. Ellis Horwood, New York, U.S.A.; 1992.
Balch CM, Soong SJ, Shaw HM, et al.
An analysis of prognostic factors in 8500 patients with cutaneous melanoma.
In: Balch CM, Houghton Anilton GW, et al (editors). Cutaneous melanoma. 2nd edition. Ellis Horwood, New York, U.S.A.; 1992.
But if you've had a melanoma, you're more likely than other people to get a new melanoma somewhere else on your skin.
6
Source:
Sober AJ, Koh HK, Wittenberg GP, et al.
Melanoma and other skin cancers.
In: Braunwald E, Hauser SL, Fauci AS, et al (editors). Harrison's principles of internal medicine. 15th edition. McGraw-Hill, New York, U.S.A.; 2001.
Sober AJ, Koh HK, Wittenberg GP, et al.
Melanoma and other skin cancers.
In: Braunwald E, Hauser SL, Fauci AS, et al (editors). Harrison's principles of internal medicine. 15th edition. McGraw-Hill, New York, U.S.A.; 2001.
There are things you can do to make sure you find a melanoma early:
- Check your skin for moles that have changed (to find out more, see What are the symptoms of melanoma?)
- See your doctor or surgeon regularly for checkups
- Watch out for lumps in the area near where the melanoma was removed (these could be swollen lymph nodes)
- Talk to your doctor right away if you notice anything unusual such as a cough or headache that doesn't go away.
Sources for the information on this page:
- Guill CK, Orengo I.Cutaneous malignant melanoma.Dermatology Nursing. 2001; 13: 210-213.
- Balch CM, Soong SJ, Shaw HM, et al.An analysis of prognostic factors in 8500 patients with cutaneous melanoma.In: Balch CM, Houghton Anilton GW, et al (editors). Cutaneous melanoma. 2nd edition. Ellis Horwood, New York, U.S.A.; 1992.
- Balch CM, Smalley RV, Bartolucci AA, et al.A randomized prospective clinical trial of adjuvant C. parvum immunotherapy in 260 patients with clinically localized melanoma (Stage I): prognostic factors analysis and preliminary results of immunotherapy.Cancer. 1982; 49: 1079-1084.
- Lachiewicz AM, Berwick M, Wiggins CL, et al.Survival differences between patients with scalp or neck melanoma and those with melanoma of other sites in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program.Archives of Dermatology. 2008; 144: 515-521.
- Shumate CR, Urist MM, Maddox WA.Melanoma recurrence surveillance: patient or physician based?Annals of Surgery. 1995; 221: 566-569, discussion 569-571.
- Sober AJ, Koh HK, Wittenberg GP, et al.Melanoma and other skin cancers.In: Braunwald E, Hauser SL, Fauci AS, et al (editors). Harrison's principles of internal medicine. 15th edition. McGraw-Hill, New York, U.S.A.; 2001.
This information was last updated on Sep 01, 2008
This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment.
© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2009. All rights reserved.
© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2009. All rights reserved.
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Source: ConsumerReportsHealth.org Copyright © 2005-2008 Consumers Union of U.S., Inc.
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