What should you know about stage 4 foot melanoma?

Melanoma on the sole, between the toes, or beneath a nail can be harder to notice because normal skin colour and repeated friction may disguise change. Stage 4 means melanoma cells are present away from the original foot site; it does not describe the size of the foot lesion by itself. Your team may examine the foot and groin nodes, review a biopsy, and use scans to look for disease elsewhere. Numbness, bleeding, ulceration, swelling, or difficulty walking can reflect the local lesion or another problem and should be described clearly.

General information about [Melanoma](/conditions/melanoma/) can help explain the diagnosis.

Ask whether the foot needs wound care, pressure relief, pain control, or treatment of infection while the cancer plan is arranged. Depending on scan findings and tumour features, the team may discuss immunotherapy, surgery, radiation, or a combination. [Skin Cancer Surgery](/treatments/surgical-dermatology/skin-cancer-surgery/) may address a local problem, while [Immunotherapy](/treatments/systemic-therapy/immunotherapy/) treats cancer through the immune system. Comfortable footwear and a walking aid can reduce strain if the sole or toe is painful.

Seek prompt help for uncontrolled bleeding, rapidly increasing swelling, a foot that becomes cold or pale, inability to bear weight, spreading redness with fever, or pain that suddenly escalates. New headache, seizure, confusion, weakness, chest symptoms, or persistent vomiting also require urgent assessment because melanoma can affect distant organs and treatment can have serious effects. Do not remove a nail, drain a lesion, or apply harsh chemicals without clinical advice.

Where has the melanoma spread, and which scan or biopsy shows this? What is the plan for the foot wound and walking? Could [Tumour Removal Surgery](/treatments/surgical-oncology/tumour-removal-surgery/) or [Surgical Excision](/treatments/surgical-dermatology/excisional-surgery/) help locally? What treatment side effects should I report immediately? How often will the foot, nodes, and scans be reviewed?