Does follow-up after cancer treatment treat melanoma?

Post-treatment surveillance is a planned review after melanoma care. Depending on your history, it can involve a skin examination, questions about symptoms, checks of lymph nodes, and review of tests or scans when your team considers them appropriate. Surveillance may find a change early, but it does not destroy melanoma cells or replace treatment. If a concern is found, the next step may include examination, imaging, biopsy, surgery, or another specialist-led treatment.

Attend the follow-up schedule given by your cancer team and report a new or changing mole, a firm lump, persistent swelling, unexplained pain, or ongoing symptoms between visits. Check your skin in a consistent way, including areas that are easy to miss, and ask for help examining your back or scalp. Protect your skin from ultraviolet exposure with shade, clothing, and sunscreen. Keep a record of changes and bring it to appointments.

Contact your melanoma team promptly for a spot that changes in size, shape, colour, or sensation, or for a bleeding or non-healing area. New persistent lumps, swollen nodes, unexplained weight change, breathing difficulty, or severe new pain also deserve timely medical advice. Do not wait for routine surveillance when a concerning change is developing.

Ask what your review includes, which symptoms should be reported immediately, and how to examine your skin safely. You may also ask how scars and treatment effects differ from a new concern, whether close relatives need skin advice, and whom to contact between scheduled visits.