What should you know about stage three melanoma?

Stage III means melanoma has moved beyond the original skin tumour into regional tissue or lymph nodes. It does not by itself confirm spread to distant organs. Doctors consider the number and location of involved nodes, whether deposits are visible in nearby skin, and what the pathology shows.

A person may have no symptoms apart from the original skin lesion or may notice a lump, swelling, or a new nearby mark. A nearby lump can be a presentation of melanoma, but many lumps have other causes and need examination rather than guesswork.

Your team may recommend surgery to remove the primary lesion or involved tissue, with lymph-node assessment when appropriate. Immunotherapy may be offered after surgery or used in another treatment setting, depending on the pathology and scan results. Ask whether imaging is needed to check areas beyond the regional nodes.

Keep every pathology and scan report together. Before treatment, discuss wound care, movement restrictions, possible lymph swelling, and the follow-up schedule. Tell the team about new lumps, pain, swelling, or skin changes rather than waiting for the next routine visit.

Seek urgent care for sudden weakness, confusion, a seizure, severe shortness of breath, or chest pain. Contact your treatment team promptly for fever, wound drainage, rapidly increasing swelling, severe pain, or a new neurological symptom.

Which regional areas are involved? Do I need a sentinel lymph node biopsy or other node procedure? Is surgery recommended? What are the reasons for adding immunotherapy, and how will follow-up look?