Early stage 1 acral lentiginous melanoma: what to know

Acral lentiginous melanoma develops in skin on the palms, soles, or beneath a fingernail or toenail. It may look like a changing dark patch, an uneven streak, or a mark that gradually enlarges. Stage 1 describes a relatively limited primary tumour based on its measured features and the clinical staging assessment; the pathology report provides the details that guide care. A dark mark is not automatically melanoma, so examination and biopsy matter.

Your team may discuss the melanoma page, the depth and other pathology findings, and whether nearby lymph-node assessment adds useful information. The phrase early stage does not remove the need for timely treatment or follow-up.

Arrange care with a dermatologist or skin-cancer team. Take photographs of the area if it is changing, note when you first noticed it, and bring a list of medicines and previous skin problems. Treatment commonly involves removing the melanoma with a planned margin of surrounding skin; this is often called surgical excision or skin cancer surgery. Depending on the pathology and location, a sentinel lymph node biopsy may be discussed. Do not cut, file, or repeatedly treat the mark yourself.

After treatment, keep scheduled skin checks and examine the treated area and nearby skin as instructed. Follow-up after cancer treatment helps the team look for local changes, a new melanoma, or treatment-related concerns.

Contact a clinician promptly for a dark mark that is enlarging, changing colour or outline, bleeding, crusting, becoming painful, or failing to heal. Seek urgent help for heavy bleeding, rapidly increasing swelling, severe pain, fever, or a wound that is separating after surgery. A new neurological symptom such as weakness, confusion, seizure, or a severe unusual headache also needs urgent assessment; it does not establish the cause, but it should not wait for a routine appointment.

Ask: What did the biopsy show about tumour depth and margins? Is further excision recommended? Would sentinel lymph node biopsy add information in my case? How will the nail, palm, or sole be repaired? What symptoms should prompt an earlier review, and how often should follow-up visits occur?