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What Are The Stages of Melanoma?
Cancer staging is how doctors describe the extent of cancer in your body. Staging is defined by the characteristics of the original (primary) melanoma tumor and if/how far it has spread in your body.
Melanoma is divided into stages using five Roman numerals (0 through IV) and up to four letters (A through D) that indicate a higher risk within each stage.
- Stage 0 (Carcinoma in situ): Abnormal cells are present, but they remain confined to the area where they first formed. No spread to nearby tissue or other areas.
- Stage 1: Tumor is 2 cm or less, hasn’t spread to nearby lymph nodes, and has one or fewer high-risk features.
- Stage 2: Tumor is 2 to 4 cm, hasn’t spread to nearby lymph nodes, or has two or more high-risk features.
- Stage 3: Tumor has spread to nearby lymph nodes or has invaded deeper layers of the skin.
- Stage 4: Most advanced stage; cancer has spread to other organs or parts of the body
The ABCDE rule helps identify potential signs of melanoma, a type of skin cancer. Here’s what each letter stands for:
- A: Asymmetry – One half of the spot looks different from the other half.
- B: Border – The spot has an irregular, scalloped, or poorly defined border.
- C: Color – The spot has varying colors (shades of tan, brown, black, or areas of white, red, or blue).
- D: Diameter – While melanomas are usually larger than 6 millimeters (about the size of a pencil eraser), they can be smaller when diagnosed.
- E: Evolving – The spot looks different from the rest or is changing in size, shape, or color.
Your stage is important because cancer treatment options and prognoses are determined by stage. If you are worried or have noticed a place on you that just doesn’t look right or a place that has just shown up. Come see us so we can determine if you need any further treatment. We are here to serve our patients most weekdays and every Saturday. No insurance needed and only $60 per visit.