Stage 1 Melanoma - Melanoma Research Alliance (2024)

FAQs

What is the 10 year survival rate for Stage 1a melanoma? ›

Stage IA. The 5-year survival rate is around 97%. The 10-year survival rate is around 95%.

Stage 1 is considered a 'thin melanoma'. If your melanoma is caught before it is too thick the prognosis is very good. Nearly 19 in 20 people who have a stage 1 melanoma are alive at least five years after being diagnosed. Stage 1 is the least serious type of melanoma.

However, in early stage cases, early diagnosis allows for the opportunity to improve the chances of survival with a prompt surgery. Although many physicians treat melanoma surgically three to four weeks after diagnosis, there is no official recommendation on time to treatment.

Despite this, approximately 20–30% of early stage melanoma patients develop a recurrence during their lifetime, with much higher rates seen in patients with regionally advanced disease [2]. The optimal timing and modality of surveillance after initial diagnosis and treatment is not known.

Five-Year Survival Rate by Melanoma Stage:

Localized melanoma: Stage 0, Stage I, and Stage II: 98.4% Regional melanoma: Stage III: 63.6%

Melanoma can grow very quickly. It can become life-threatening in as little as 6 weeks and, if untreated, it can spread to other parts of the body. Melanoma can appear on skin not normally exposed to the sun. Nodular melanoma is a highly dangerous form of melanoma that looks different from common melanomas.

Treatments for Stage I Melanoma

Your doctor will most likely treat stage 1 melanoma with surgery called wide excision, which cuts out the melanoma along with a margin of healthy surrounding skin. The amount of healthy skin removed is determined by the location and the thickness of the melanoma being treated.

Stage I melanomas have grown into deeper layers of the skin, but they haven't grown beyond the area where they started. These cancers are typically treated by wide excision (surgery to remove the tumor as well as a margin of normal skin around it).

Stage IA and Stage IB melanoma has no evidence of spread to nearby lymph nodes, and no evidence of metastasis to distant sites. Stage IA and Stage IB are differentiated by depth of tumor and ulceration: Tumors that are less than 0.8 mm without ulceration are Stage IA.

For example, for melanomas less than 1 millimeter thick, a 1-centimeter margin of normal skin surrounding the tumor or the biopsy scar is removed to make sure no cancer cells remain. In general, melanomas thicker than 1 millimeter require the removal of a 2-centimeter margin of healthy tissue.

What is the new hope for melanoma patients? ›

Now experts are testing new jabs that are custom-built for each patient and tell their body to hunt down cancer cells to prevent the disease ever coming back. A phase 2 trial found the vaccines dramatically reduced the risk of the cancer returning in melanoma patients.

After you finish treatment, your dermatologist (or oncologist) will still want to see you regularly. Melanoma can return or spread after treatment. If this happens, it's most likely to occur within the first 5 years. During the first 5 years, you'll need thorough check-ups.

Stage IA and Stage IB melanoma has no evidence of spread to nearby lymph nodes, and no evidence of metastasis to distant sites. Stage IA and Stage IB are differentiated by depth of tumor and ulceration: Tumors that are less than 0.8 mm without ulceration are Stage IA.

Survival for all stages of melanoma

around 90 out of every 100 people (around 90%) will survive their melanoma for 5 years or more after diagnosis. more than 85 out of every 100 people (more than 85%) will survive their melanoma for 10 years or more after they are diagnosed.

Treatments for Stage I Melanoma

Your doctor will most likely treat stage 1 melanoma with surgery called wide excision, which cuts out the melanoma along with a margin of healthy surrounding skin. The amount of healthy skin removed is determined by the location and the thickness of the melanoma being treated.

Stage 1A. Stage 1A means the: melanoma is less than 1 mm thick.