Satellite melanoma: what to know

A satellite lesion is a melanoma deposit near the original tumour, separated from it by a small area of apparently normal skin. It is different from a distant skin spot, a local recurrence, or spread to a lymph node, although doctors assess all of these possibilities during staging. The finding can change the stage assigned to melanoma and the treatment options discussed.

Assessment may include a careful skin and lymph-node examination, imaging when indicated, and review of tissue by a specialist team. The appearance of a new bump near a known melanoma cannot confirm satellite spread by itself; infection, scar tissue, or another lesion may look similar.

Contact the melanoma team promptly if you notice new firm bumps, colour change, bleeding, or a cluster of lesions near a treated or known melanoma. Avoid picking or attempting removal. Take clear photographs only as a record and keep scheduled appointments. Your team may discuss surgical excision, wider skin cancer surgery, lymph-node assessment, or systemic treatment depending on the examination and staging results.

Seek urgent medical advice for rapidly enlarging lesions, uncontrolled bleeding, severe pain, signs of infection, new weakness, confusion, seizures, or severe headache. Neurological symptoms need immediate assessment because melanoma can sometimes spread to organs such as the brain. Do not wait for a routine skin review when these symptoms occur.

Ask whether the finding is confirmed by pathology, what stage is being considered, and which scans or biopsies are needed. Discuss the purpose and timing of surgery, immunotherapy, or follow-up surveillance, along with symptoms that should trigger urgent contact.