How Fast Does Melanoma Spread?

Melanoma is a skin cancer that can spread to many parts of the body and at a fairly fast rate if undetected. The worst aspect about melanoma is that you can be living with it and not even know it. Most of the time people will let melanoma go undetected for years until they finally get diagnosed with it.

 

So how fast does melanoma spread? The length it takes to spread to different parts of your body depends on how severe it is and what the other contributing factors are. So the answer to how fast does melanoma spread is answered with there is no definite time span.

 

When melanoma spreads, it can go just about anywhere it wants to. The most common areas it will spread to are the lungs, brain, bones and liver. If you have ocular melanoma, it will generally spread to the liver first.

 

In order to get rid of melanoma, you must get it removed. Getting it removed, however, does not mean you cannot still get it or not produce any more malignant melanoma. This procedure just helps prevent the existing cancerous spot from spreading. Depending on what stage your melanoma has progressed to is determined on how much treatment you will have to undergo. The stages are outlined below for those who have asked the question: how fast does melanoma spread? Although this does not tell you the timeline, it does give an idea of its progression.

 

Stage 0 : This means the melanoma is only on the top layer of skin. This is the stage you want to catch melanoma at. This requires the least amount of treatment and the best success ratio.

 

Stage 1 : Tumor is less than 1/8 inch thick below the first skin layer.

 

Stage 2 : Tumor is ¼ inch thick in the lower layers of skin.

 

Stage 3 : Cancer has possibly spread to your lymph nodes and there might actually be multiple tumors.

 

Stage 4 : The melanoma has spread to multiple organs, including other parts of your skin.

 

As a general rule, the stages after stage one are the stages that become more fatal. If you have any symptoms that you feel might be related to having melanoma, please contact your doctor immediately.

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- Recommended Resource -

 

Melanoma Skin Cancer Advice: "How I survived melanoma skin cancer and how YOU can too!"

 

7 survivors of Melanoma tell their inspiring tales of how they beat Melanoma even at Stage 4....and how you can too...

 

 

 

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