Sometimes melanomas spread to the deeper layers of the skin. In this case you might need to have other operations called a sentinel lymph node biopsy and a block dissection.
The sentinel lymph node biopsy tells the doctors if the melanoma has spread to your lymph nodes. You might not need more treatment if the melanoma hasn’t spread there. If it has spread to the lymph nodes, you’ll have the block dissection operation to take them out. These 2 operations can sometimes be done at the same time or you might have the block dissection a few weeks later.
If the melanoma has spread to the lymph nodes, you’ll probably need to have some tests and scans to check if the melanoma has spread anywhere else. They include:
Waiting for test results can be pretty scary. Remember that you don’t have to keep your worries to yourself. Many people find it helpful to talk to someone about how they feel. You can talk to whoever you feel comfortable with, like
- your parents or guardian
- your doctor
- the specialist cancer nurse at the clinic or hospital where you’re being seen
- the specialist cancer nurses on the free helpline at Cancerbackup
The tests might show that the melanoma has spread to other areas of your body. It’s very rare for young people to have a melanoma that has spread this far. You might need to have chemotherapy, radiotherapy, biological therapies or a combination of these. The treatments can help to slow down the growth of the melanoma.
When the melanoma comes back after treatment, it’s called a recurrent melanoma. It’s rare for this to happen in young people.
