Stage 2 Melanoma

Basic Information About Stage 2 Melanoma

Stage 2 melanoma is a form of skin cancer that we should pay attention to. This stage of skin cancer is more serious than in situ melanoma or stage 1 cancer.

More advanced forms of stage 2 melanoma can be life threatening, and the chances of the cancer coming back after treatment are higher. The good news is that stage 2 skin cancer can still be treated without too much trouble. Treatment is more complicated for this kind of cancer, but learning about your options can do a lot to help.

Here's a look at stage 2 skin cancer and what you should know to protect yourself.

Identifying Stage 2 Melanoma

Many people don't find their skin cancer until it has had time to grow and get thicker. Taking advantage of Free Skin Cancer Screening can do a lot to help.

That's because self exams aren't always enough to catch cancer when it can be easily treated. They're a good start, but most of us should also have a skin exam from time to time to keep cancer from going undetected. Many people don't find out that they have a tumor until it has reached at least stage 2.

Melanoma in stage 2 is still a localized kind of cancer. The main tumor hasn't spread to anywhere else in the body yet. If you get this kind of cancer treated quickly, it's considered to be a medium risk for spreading.

It can still come back after treatment, but is not as likely to as more advanced cancers. Earlier stage 2 cancers are easier to treat and much less likely to come back afterward.

Stage 2 cancer has two main traits. The first one is the thickness of the tumor. Stage 2 tumors can be anywhere from one to four mm thick. That's between the thickness of the edge of a penny and the thickness of the edges of two nickels.

The other factor is ulceration. A tumor is ulcerated when the top layer of skin is damaged. This might be visible, like a sore that doesn't heal. It might also require a microscope to see the damage.

Your pathologist can tell you if the tumor is ulcerated. These tumors are considered to be serious even when they are thinner than non-ulcerated tumors.

Treatment for stage 2 skin cancer

The main treatment for stage 2 cancer is to remove the tumor and the skin around it. Before this happens, your doctor will determine exactly what stage your cancer is.

You might hear that you have skin cancer 2c, melanoma 2c, or melanoma stage 2a. Those letters and numbers tell us what subtype of stage 2 cancer you have. They also tell us how serious the cancer is.

People with stage 2 cancer will also need to have a sentinel lymph node biopsy, or SNLB. This tells us whether the cancer cells are spreading. After your tumor is removed, you might need other treatment, too. Many people also get experimental vaccine treatment or interferons to boost their immune system after surgery.

After Treatment

After you have treatment for stage 2 skin cancer, you will need to have follow-up checkups. Every patient who has had stage 2 melanoma needs to get a regular physical exam. In the first year, this needs to happen every three months.

In year 2, it can happen every four months. For years 3-5, you can get a skin exam every six months, and after that, you should get a checkup once each year. Some people might have to get them more often if their doctors feel like they're at a high level of risk.

Stage 2 melanoma is considered to be medium to high risk for metastasis or recurrence. It's extremely important for people who have had this kind of skin cancer to do self exams and see their doctors on a regular basis.

• 20-25% for people who had stage 2a cancer
• 30-40% for people who had stage 2b
• 50-60% for people who had stage 2c

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