What should you know about melanoma in the stomach?

A dark or abnormal area in the stomach is not enough to identify melanoma. Doctors consider whether a melanoma has spread from the skin, eye, or another site, or whether the stomach is the first recognised location. They may use an endoscopy to view the stomach and take a biopsy. A pathologist examines the tissue, while scans help assess nearby lymph nodes and other organs. The result guides staging and treatment choices.

Arrange prompt review with the gastroenterology and oncology team that is managing the finding. Bring previous mole or skin-cancer reports and details of earlier operations or treatments. Treatment may involve removal of a local lesion, wider tumour surgery, or medicines that work through the immune system, depending on location, spread and overall health. Ask how the biopsy will be obtained and when results will be discussed.

Seek urgent medical care for vomiting blood, black or tar-like stools, severe or worsening abdominal pain, fainting, or inability to keep fluids down. Contact the treating team promptly for persistent vomiting, new difficulty swallowing, marked weakness, or unexplained weight loss. These symptoms do not prove melanoma, but they can signal bleeding, blockage, dehydration, or another condition needing assessment.

Ask whether the stomach lesion looks like a spread from another melanoma, what the biopsy shows, which scans are needed, and whether surgery or immunotherapy is being considered. Clarify which symptoms should prompt an emergency visit and how follow-up will be organised.