Usually, surgery removes these dangerous lesions but sometimes it’s necessary to remove nearby lymph nodes also depending on how far the disease has spread.

One of the most effective ways to prevent Melanoma from spreading is early detection and removal. Most often, this will involve looking at the affected area under a microscope with an excisional biopsy where a small sample of abnormal tissue is removed for further analysis.

Melanoma is classified as either non-invasive (stage 0) or invasive (stage I-IV).  In non-invasive disease, the abnormal cells are limited to the epidermis (upper layer of the skin).  When the cells erode into the dermis (lower layer of the skin) melanoma is classified as invasive disease.  Usually but not in all cases, the deeper into the dermis the higher the likelihood of spreading to adjacent tissues such as lymph nodes (infection fighting zones of the body).  The earlier the diagnosis the greater chance of diagnosing melanoma while it is in the early stages – this gives the best outcomes for the patient.

I will undertake wide excision melanoma surgery and remove your tumour, achieving clearance where possible while expertly reconstructing the area. The recovery time after Melanoma surgery is two to four weeks depending on what is required. Once Melanoma has been treated, it’s necessary to monitor your skin closely by having regular skin, lymph node and general exams performed by your GP, dermatologist or myself depending on the tumour.