What should you know about melanoma satellite lesions?

A satellite lesion is a melanoma deposit in the skin or nearby tissue close to the original tumour, with normal-looking skin between the spots. It is different from a single mole that has changed and different from a scar caused by treatment. A clinician may also distinguish satellite disease from an in-transit deposit, which is farther along lymphatic drainage.

The finding can affect staging because it suggests melanoma cells have moved beyond the primary focus. It does not, by itself, show where else the cancer may be present. Examination, biopsy, and selected imaging help the team decide whether nearby lymph nodes or distant organs need assessment.

Contact the specialist managing the melanoma without delaying an appointment. Avoid squeezing, shaving over, or repeatedly touching the area. Photograph the spots in consistent lighting and record new symptoms such as tenderness, bleeding, swelling, or rapid growth.

The plan may involve surgical excision or skin cancer surgery, a sentinel lymph node biopsy, and discussion of systemic treatment such as immunotherapy. Decisions depend on pathology, the number and position of lesions, lymph-node findings, and imaging.

Seek same-day advice for rapid enlargement, heavy bleeding, spreading redness with fever, or severe pain. New weakness, confusion, seizures, breathing difficulty, or a severe headache needs urgent assessment because melanoma can involve distant sites, including the brain.

Ask whether the spots need biopsy, how they affect the stage, whether lymph-node evaluation or imaging is needed, and which treatment sequence is recommended. Clarify how to monitor the area and when follow-up after cancer treatment should occur.