What should you know about nodular melanoma?

Nodular melanoma often grows outward as a firm bump and may be black, brown, pink, red, or close to the surrounding skin colour. It can bleed, crust, itch, or become tender, although symptoms are not required. A changing skin lump is not proof of melanoma; many lumps are benign. Diagnosis requires examination and a biopsy, followed by laboratory assessment of the removed tissue. The report helps describe depth and other features that guide staging and treatment.

Arrange a prompt dermatology appointment for a new, enlarging, dark, uneven, bleeding, or persistent raised lesion. Take a clear history of when it appeared and any visible change. The clinician may use a dermatoscope, then recommend complete surgical removal or another biopsy approach. If melanoma is confirmed, the team may discuss wider skin-cancer surgery, sentinel lymph-node biopsy, scans, or immunotherapy depending on the findings. Avoid picking or attempting to remove the lesion at home.

Seek prompt medical review for a lesion that changes over weeks, develops bleeding or crusting, or remains unlike your other marks. Urgent assessment is appropriate for heavy bleeding that does not stop with gentle pressure, rapidly worsening swelling, or severe pain. New neurological symptoms such as weakness, confusion, or a seizure require emergency care; they are not a way to diagnose melanoma, but need immediate evaluation.

Ask what the biopsy shows, whether the margins are clear, what depth and stage mean in your case, and whether lymph-node assessment or imaging is needed. Ask who will coordinate follow-up and which skin changes should be reported between visits.