What should you know about thick melanoma?

Thickness is measured from the skin surface to the deepest invasive melanoma cells in an excision specimen. The report may also describe ulceration, margins, and whether tumour cells are seen in lymphatic or blood vessels. These findings help determine whether further staging is useful; thickness is one part of the picture, not a prediction of one person's future. A specialist may recommend a Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy or imaging based on the full report and examination.

Keep the pathology report and attend the recommended skin-cancer or oncology appointment. Treatment commonly starts with complete Surgical Excision and may require wider Skin Cancer Surgery depending on margins and location. If melanoma has spread, the team may discuss Immunotherapy or other systemic care. Do not delay appointments while searching for a single number or comparing another person's treatment.

Contact your treating team promptly for a rapidly changing lesion, bleeding that does not stop with pressure, signs of wound infection, or new lumps near the treated area. New persistent headaches, seizures, weakness, confusion, or vision changes need urgent medical assessment because melanoma can rarely involve distant organs, including the brain.

Ask for the measured thickness, ulceration and margin details, whether lymph-node staging is advised, what surgery is planned, and how follow-up will monitor the skin and lymph nodes.