Nodular melanoma skin cancer has a poor prognosis because it grows down into the skin (vertical growth pattern) and tends to be thick when diagnosed.
Nodular melanoma is the most dangerous form of skin cancer. It grows and spreads more quickly than other types, and a doctor usually diagnoses it at a later stage. If melanoma has not spread, the 5-year survival rate is 98.4 percent.
For people with "thin melanoma," defined as being less than 1 millimeter in maximal thickness, that has not spread to lymph nodes or other distant sites, the 5-year relative survival rate in the United States is 99%. However, for people with thicker melanoma, the 5-year relative survival rate may be 80% or higher.
Nodular melanoma is a highly dangerous form of melanoma that looks different from common melanomas and can grow in just a few weeks. Raised and even in color, nodular melanoma are often red, pink, brown, or black. It can be life-threatening if not detected and removed quickly.
There are various types of melanoma: superficial spreading melanoma (most common), nodular (worst prognosis), lentigo malignant (best prognosis), and acral lentiginous (occurs on palms of hand and soles of feet, common in African Americans).
Lentigo Maligna Melanoma
Generally considered the least aggressive melanoma due to its long radial growth phase. Lentigo maligna melanoma is commonly found on older people who have worked in an outdoor occupation.
The earliest form of melanoma (considered stage 0), it is the easiest to treat and almost always curable.
How fast does melanoma spread and grow to local lymph nodes and other organs? “Melanoma can grow extremely quickly and can become life-threatening in as little as six weeks,” noted Dr. Duncanson.
Doctors have known for decades that melanoma and many other cancer types tend to spread first into nearby lymph nodes before entering the blood and traveling to distant parts of the body.
Once it spreads, or metastasizes, the disease is known as metastatic melanoma. This type of melanoma may typically occur during stage 3 or stage 4.
What are the signs of late-stage skin cancer? Melanoma is considered stage 4 when it has metastasized to lymph nodes in a part of the body far from the original tumor or if it has metastasized to internal organs like the lungs, liver, brain, bone or gastrointestinal tract.
Melanoma can be treated most effectively in its early stages when it is still confined to the top layer of the skin (epidermis). The more deeply a melanoma grows into the lower layer of the skin (dermis), the greater the risk that it could spread to nearby lymph nodes or other organs.
Prognosis for Stage 3 Melanoma: With appropriate treatment, Stage III melanoma is considered intermediate to high risk for recurrence or metastasis. With all melanoma, the earlier it is detected and treated, the better. The 5-year survival rate as of 2018 for regional melanoma (Stage III) is 63.6%.
The primary risk factor for melanoma is exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light, typically from the sun and tanning beds, with the risk growing with the amount of exposure.
Melanoma is the most invasive skin cancer with the highest risk of death. While it's a serious skin cancer, it's highly curable if caught early. Prevention and early treatment are critical, especially if you have fair skin, blonde or red hair and blue eyes.
Stage 4 is also called advanced melanoma. It means the melanoma has spread elsewhere in the body, away from where it started (the primary site) and the nearby lymph nodes. The most common places for melanoma to spread include the: lungs.
First, we need to understand why melanoma spreads so quickly. This is due to the fact that it can spread to vital organs and the lymph nodes. These parts play a vital role in our bodies and can help melanoma spread quickly. As for the spreading speed, the type of melanoma plays a key role here.
Having melanoma skin cancer on the arms or legs (extremities) has a better prognosis than having melanoma skin cancer on the central part of the body (trunk), head or neck. Melanoma skin cancer on the palms of the hands or soles of the feet also has a poorer prognosis compared to other locations.
almost all people (almost 100%) will survive their melanoma for 1 year or more after they are diagnosed. around 90 out of every 100 people (around 90%) will survive their melanoma for 5 years or more after diagnosis.
The most frequent sites of metastasis are nearby skin, lymph nodes and subcutaneous tissue. Also, melanoma can metastasize to distant organs, most commonly to the brain, liver, lungs, bones, and intestines[2,17].
How long can you have melanoma and not know it? It depends on the type of melanoma. For example, nodular melanoma grows rapidly over a matter of weeks, while a radial melanoma can slowly spread over the span of a decade. Like a cavity, a melanoma may grow for years before producing any significant symptoms.
One type of immunotherapy, called immune checkpoint inhibition, has shown impressive results in some people with advanced melanoma. Four immune checkpoint inhibitors are now approved for the treatment of melanoma that can't be removed with surgery or that has metastasized: ipilimumab (Yervoy) pembrolizumab (Keytruda)
Nivolumab and Relatlimab Combination Shows Promise in Advanced Melanoma. The LAG-3 checkpoint protein (green) on T cells (blue) can bind to partner proteins on other types of cells. Credit: Adapted from Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer. September 2020.