The short answer
Melanoma is a type of skin cancer. It is much less common than the other main skin cancers, but it is much more likely to spread. Most deaths from skin cancer are caused by melanoma. UV radiation from the sun, sunlamps, and tanning booths can lead to skin cancer.
Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer.
The main types of skin cancer are squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, and melanoma.
Melanoma is much less common than the other types but much more likely to invade nearby tissue and spread to other parts of the body.
Most deaths from skin cancer are caused by melanoma.
Subjective: What you might experience
This section describes the symptoms and history a patient might report to their doctor.
A new mole or a change in an existing mole's size, shape, or color.
The 'ABCDE' warning signs
Asymmetry, irregular Borders, uneven Color, Diameter over ~6 mm, or Evolving over time.
A spot that itches, bleeds, or won't heal.
A dark streak under a nail or a new pigmented area.
Risk history
fair skin, many moles, sunburns/UV exposure, tanning beds, family history.
Objective: Tests and findings
Full skin examination, often with dermoscopy, and check of nearby lymph nodes.
Excisional biopsy of the suspicious lesion
the key diagnostic test.
Pathology reports Breslow thickness, ulceration, and mitotic rate.
Sentinel lymph node biopsy for tumors above a certain depth.
Imaging (CT/PET/MRI) for thicker tumors or signs of spread.
Interactive anatomy guide
Explore where cancers start and how they are found, on an interactive body map.
Open the anatomy guideAssessment: Staging and prognosis
Diagnosis confirmed by biopsy; melanoma is the most serious skin cancer because it can spread.
Staged with the TNM system, incorporating tumor thickness, ulceration, nodes, and metastasis.
Tumor molecular testing (e.g., BRAF mutation) guides therapy in advanced disease.
Depth and node status are the strongest prognostic factors.
Plan: The treatment approach
Surgery to remove the melanoma with a margin of normal skin is the primary treatment.
Lymph node evaluation or removal when indicated.
Advanced/high-risk disease
immunotherapy and/or targeted therapy (BRAF/MEK inhibitors).
Radiation in selected situations; clinical trials.
Sun protection, regular skin self-exams, and dermatology follow-up.
These are simplified, educational SOAP-style summaries showing the kinds of findings clinicians document when evaluating each cancer, based on National Cancer Institute resources. They describe typical diagnostic criteria and workups — not a real patient, and not medical advice. Real clinical notes are individualized. Always rely on your own care team. Based on National Cancer Institute educational content. Educational only — not medical advice.
Words to know
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Common questions
Is melanoma the most dangerous skin cancer?
Melanoma is much less common than the other main types of skin cancer, but it is much more likely to invade nearby tissue and spread to other parts of the body. Most deaths from skin cancer are caused by melanoma.
Does sunlight cause melanoma?
UV radiation from the sun, sunlamps, and tanning booths causes damage that can lead to skin cancer. Melanoma is one type of skin cancer.
What are the main types of skin cancer?
The main types of skin cancer are squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, and melanoma. Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer.
Is melanoma a common cancer?
Melanoma is much less common than the other main types of skin cancer. However, it is much more likely to invade nearby tissue and spread to other parts of the body, and most deaths from skin cancer are caused by melanoma.
Are moles related to melanoma?
Common moles and dysplastic nevi are related to melanoma risk. A healthcare team can explain what to watch for and when to ask about a mole.
Questions to ask your doctor
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Sources last checked: 2026-07-21 what this meansLast updated: 2026-08-11Next planned review: 2027-07-21
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Cancer Explained does not originate medical claims. Every page restates guidance already published by the National Cancer Institute, the CDC, the USPSTF and the FDA, in plain language, with the source cited so you can check the original yourself. AI does the translating and organizing; automated checks test claims, citations, clarity and safety before anything publishes. We do not employ clinicians and do not intend to — our work is translation and navigation, not clinical judgment. Nothing here is personal medical advice, and no page can account for your particular situation.
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How this page was created
Cancer Explained does not originate medical claims. Every page restates guidance already published by the National Cancer Institute, the CDC, the USPSTF and the FDA, in plain language, with the source cited so you can check the original yourself. AI does the translating and organizing; automated checks test claims, citations, clarity and safety before anything publishes. We do not employ clinicians and do not intend to — our work is translation and navigation, not clinical judgment. Nothing here is personal medical advice, and no page can account for your particular situation.
Editorial status: Source checked — This page was written with AI assistance and checked line by line against the sources listed on it. That confirms the sources support what the page says. It is not a medical review, and it does not confirm the page is complete or right for your situation.
Human medical review: not completed. Pages here are not signed off by a clinician before they publish. That is not an oversight we are quietly working around: we restate published guidance and cite it, so the authority belongs to the source rather than to us, and every page names where its claims come from — you can verify us instead of trusting us. Where a volunteer clinician has reviewed a page, their name and credentials appear on it; where no name appears, no clinician has checked it. We are glad to have reviewers and are recruiting them, and we do not hold pages back waiting for one. Use this site to understand your situation and to ask better questions of the people treating you.
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- Melanoma Stages: From Stage 0 to IV
- Melanoma Survival Rates and What They Really Mean
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