Does skin cancer surgery treat melanoma?

Melanoma is a cancer of pigment-producing cells. The first procedure may remove a suspicious spot so a laboratory can confirm the diagnosis and measure features that guide care. If melanoma is confirmed, further surgery may remove additional surrounding skin. In selected situations, nearby lymph nodes may also be assessed.

The treatment plan is not decided by appearance alone. It can depend on the melanoma's depth, location, edges, and signs of spread. Some people need a specialist team to discuss surgery alongside other treatments, especially when disease is not limited to the original skin site.

Arrange prompt dermatology review for a mole or dark patch that changes in size, shape, colour, or surface, or that starts bleeding or itching. Bring information about when the change began and any previous skin biopsies. If surgery is planned, discuss medicines, allergies, wound care, scar expectations, and when the pathology result will guide the next decision.

Do not wait for a routine visit if a pigmented lesion is rapidly changing, bleeding, ulcerated, or markedly different from your other moles. After an operation, contact the team for spreading redness, discharge, fever, severe pain, or bleeding that continues despite pressure.

Ask whether the planned procedure is diagnostic or definitive, what the margin means, whether lymph-node assessment is relevant, when results are expected, and which specialist will coordinate further care if needed.