Melanoma Staging

Melanoma Stages

Health care professionals have created a melanoma staging system to identify the severity of the disease and the best treatment method for individual cases. By reviewing the size, location, and depth of the skin lesion they are able to determine how far the cancer has spread from its original site. The staging system divides melanoma into four stages.

The table below provides details on the staging of melanoma lesions. In early stage melanoma, Stages I through II determination is based upon the thickness of the lesion and the number of skin layers it has penetrated.l Stages III and IV determination is based upon the spread from the original site on the skin to the lymph nodes and/or distant organs. A complete physical examination will be necessary to fully determine the appropriate staging level of the cancer. Refer to the Staging Table for the updated American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) Stages of Melanoma.

Studies have shown that treatment of earlier stage disease results in significantly greater chances of survival. The further the melanoma spreads (or metastasizes) beyond the local region, the more difficult it is to treat.

In situ Melanoma - Stage 0

Is not evident below the surface of the skin.

Melanoma - Stage I

Stage IA melanoma is less than 1 millimeter thick and has not ulcerated and is most likely only in the top layer of the skin.

Stage IB melanoma may also be less than 1 millimeter thick but has become ulcerated and there is evidence that the lesion has invaded deeper layers of the skin.

Melanoma - Stage II

Stage IIA melanoma is either 1 to 2 millimeters thick with ulceration or 2 to 4 millimeters thick without ulceration.

Stage IIB melanoma is either 2 to 4 millimeters thick with ulceration or more than 4 millimeters thick without ulceration.

Stage IIC melanoma is more than 4 millimeters thick with ulceration.

Melanoma - Stage III

Stage III melanoma has spread to the lymphatic system or is present in the lymph nodes close to the cancer, and may also have spread directly from the original tumor site to areas more than 2 centimeters away without further spread to distant lymph nodes.

Melanoma - Stage IV

Stage IV melanoma has metastasized to distant lymph nodes and is present in other organs, i.e. lungs, liver or brain.

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T- Cell Therapy
Cytotoxic T-Lymphocyte killing target (Melanoma cell) and destroying in research laboratory.