How does melanoma spread?

Melanoma is a type of cancer. It develops in the cells that produce the pigment, which is responsible for the skin's color. Melanoma is considered the deadliest cancer that affects the skin. Unfortunately, the spread of melanoma can cause the cancer to spread from skin cells to internal organs. The spread of melanoma can also cause cancer in a person's lymph nodes.

Skin cancers usually don't spread; That's because they are basal cell carcinomas, which usually don't spread. This type of skin cancer is often easier to cure. Melanoma is different, however, and spreads when cancer cells enter blood vessels near the melanoma or reach lymph vessels. When cells move into blood vessels, they can be transported to other parts of the body, where they can develop into organs. When they invade the lymphatic vessels, they are carried by the lymphatic fluid and drained, along with the fluid, to the lymph nodes.

Melanoma may be more likely to spread to lymph nodes closer to the initial location of the cancer cells. For example, a melanoma in one arm may be more likely to spread to the lymph nodes in the armpit. However, a melanoma in a person's abdomen is likely to cause cancer in the armpit or groin.

While any melanoma patient faces the risk of melanoma spreading, a cancer less than 1 millimeter (0.03 inches) thick can be located only in the upper layers of the skin. In this case, it is less likely to spread, allowing the doctor to remove it and leaving the patient cancer-free in some cases. Unfortunately, melanoma can recur, even after successful treatment. Also, a small percentage of these thin melanomas are not completely cured by surgical removal.

Often, the spread of melanoma moves cancer cells from the primary location of the tumor to the lymph nodes, from where they can spread to lymph nodes and organs farther away from the initial cancer site. Treatment options for melanomas that have spread beyond the skin include surgical removal, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and biological therapy. Patients with early-stage melanoma, with cancers that have not spread or that have not spread widely, may have the best prognosis.

Once the cancer has spread throughout the body to distant organs and lymph nodes, it is called stage IV melanoma. At this stage, there is less chance that the cancer can be cured. People at this stage often die because their organs eventually fail.

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