Is Stage 0 melanoma considered cancer?

Stage 0 melanoma is not considered invasive melanoma; the other stages (I, II, III, and IV) are invasive. In Stage 0 melanoma, there is no evidence the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes or to distant sites (metastasis). Stage 0 is local melanoma, meaning it has not spread beyond the primary tumor.

Is melanoma in situ cancer?

Melanoma in situ is also called stage 0 melanoma. It means there are cancer cells in the top layer of skin (the epidermis). The melanoma cells are all contained in the area in which they started to develop and have not grown into deeper layers of the skin. Some doctors call in situ cancers pre cancer.

What causes melanoma cancer?

Melanoma is caused by skin cells that begin to develop abnormally. Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun is thought to cause most melanomas, but there’s evidence to suggest that some may result from sunbed exposure. The type of sun exposure that causes melanoma is sudden intense exposure.

What is the 5-year survival rate for stage 0 melanoma?

The 5-year survival rate as of 2018 for local melanoma, including Stage 0, is 98.4%.

Should I be worried about in situ melanoma?

In situ melanomas don’t spread to other parts of the body or cause death, but if the tumor has an opportunity to grow even one millimeter deep into the skin, it can lead to more involved treatment and greater danger. If left untreated, it can metastasize and even become life-threatening.

How long does it take melanoma in situ to spread?

The lesion can grow slowly for 5 to 15 years in the in situ form before becoming invasive. The exact percentage of lentigo maligna lesions that progress to invasive lentigo maligna melanoma is unknown but is estimated to be less than 30% to 50%.

How quickly should melanoma in situ be removed?

Hypothesis-based, informal guidelines recommend treatment within 4–6 weeks. In this study, median surgical intervals varied significantly between clinics and departments, but nearly all were within a 6-week frame. Key words: melanoma, surgical interval, treatment time, melanoma survival, time factors.

Should melanoma in situ be removed?

Stage 0 melanoma (melanoma in situ) has not grown deeper than the top layer of the skin (the epidermis). It is usually treated by surgery (wide excision) to remove the melanoma and a small margin of normal skin around it.