- Melanoma at different stages
- 0 stage melanoma
- 1 stage melanoma
- 2 stage melanoma
- 3 stage melanoma
- 4 stage melanoma
- How to identify skin cancer stage
- Survival rates
- Metastasis of melanoma
What do Khloe Kardashian, Bob Marley, and John McCain have in common? All of these celebrities have been diagnosed with melanoma — “the queen of cancers” and the most dangerous malignant disease? Cancer does not care whether you a famous person or just an ordinary guy.
Actually, tiny mole can cause terrifying cancer. Many people who read this article may ask: “So, how does melanoma look like? How to save yourself from the risk of skin cancer?” Let’s see how to determine the stage of melanoma and stay safe!
How does melanoma look like at an early stage?
A trick is hidden in the most unpredictable place! The early stage of melanoma does not differ from an ordinary mole, but when cancer develops “this mole” becomes thicker and changes its color to black, red or brown.
Why is it important to conduct regular self-examination? If you do not want to waste your money on expensive treatments, just look at your body! Have you found new growth? Immediately visit a doctor to prevent serious consequences.
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Melanoma at 0 stage (in situ)
At 0 stage, skin cancer does not spread into the deep layers, it stays "in its place." Melanoma is like a small mole of intense black or red color. Its surface can have white, pink, blue blotches, but in general, the mole looks normal. This stage of melanoma is curable — specialists perform surgery to remove it. Bookimed has chosen the best solution for 0 stage treatment due to world-class oncologists and surgeons who will take care of you.
Anadolu Hospital
Anadolu Medical Center in Istanbul, Turkey offers complete care for melanoma. Diagnostic tests begin around $170 for a consultation, with detailed imaging like PET-CT scans costing approximately $700-950. Treatment options range from CyberKnife radiosurgery at around $7,500 to surgical procedures like wide excision, which may cost between $8,000 and $15,000. The clinic's full-service approach is backed by its Johns Hopkins Medicine affiliation and a multidisciplinary tumor board led by an experienced oncologist.
Comprehensive Diagnostics
Accurate staging is critical for melanoma treatment. The clinic provides advanced diagnostic methods. A detailed workup may include several key tests.
- Oncologist Consultation: The initial specialist visit typically costs around $170-220.
- Advanced Imaging: This can include a PET-CT scan for staging and a Brain MRI. These tests help detect any spread of the disease.
- Genetic & Molecular Testing: A BRAF mutation test costs around $280-400. More extensive genetic screening is also available. The clinic uses a CTC liquid biopsy for early detection.
- Pathology Review: Expert analysis of tissue samples, including a block review, is offered.
Surgical Treatments
Surgery is often the first-line treatment for localized melanoma. The clinic's surgical oncology team performs precise procedures. Hospital stays are typically 3 to 5 days.
- Wide Excision: This surgery removes the melanoma with a margin of healthy tissue. The package includes hospitalization, anesthesia, and pathology. The price is typically between $8,000 and $15,000.
- Wide Excision + Sentinel Node Biopsy: This is a more complex procedure for staging. It checks if cancer has reached nearby lymph nodes. The complete package costs around $22,100 and includes a three-day hospital stay.
Non-Surgical & Systemic Therapies
For advanced or inoperable melanoma, the center offers several other treatments.
- CyberKnife Radiosurgery: This non-invasive radiation treats brain metastases. It uses a robotic system for high precision. A course of treatment typically costs around $7,500.
- Immunotherapy: Drugs like Keytruda help the immune system fight cancer. A single course of this treatment may cost around $4,000.
- Systemic Therapies: This category includes other targeted drugs. Treatment planning and administration may cost between $2,800 and $9,500 per course.
Expert Medical Team
Prof. Bülent Karagöz leads the oncology department. He is a Professor of Medical Oncology with 33 years of experience. He trained at Johns Hopkins and has over 40 cancer publications. Prof. Karagöz is a member of the Turkish Medical Oncology Association. He coordinates care with the clinic's multidisciplinary team of surgeons and radiologists.
The JCI-accredited Anadolu Medical Center provides a full spectrum of melanoma care. From initial genetic testing to advanced robotic surgery, all services are available in one location. For a precise treatment plan and cost estimate, consulting with the clinic's specialists is the recommended next step.
Hospital certificates and accreditation of quality
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| Melanoma surgery | $8000 - $15000 |
At Anadolu, surgeons can remove early-stage melanoma during a biopsy and no treatment is required. Doctors also apply targeted therapy — this option may be used depending on the genetic structure of melanoma. Immunotherapy which boosts the patient’s immune system to fight cancer cells is also used to treat melanoma.
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Stage 1-2 melanoma
.jpg "Stage 1 melanoma")
At the first stage, melanoma is about 1 mm in size. The tumor can swell, gets thicker but is rarely covered with ulcers. “This mole” does not cause any pain even when you push on it.
At the 2nd stage, the tumor increases up to 2 mm and can be covered with ulcers. Sometimes, there are ray-like stripes on the skin around the tumor.
To avoid the increase of melanoma growth, pay attention to the following medical solution in Spain.
Teknon Hospital
Melanoma treatment at Centro Médico Teknon in Barcelona, Spain includes a full spectrum of care. Diagnostic scans may cost around $225, while specialized consultations are priced at $600. Surgical procedures like wide excision typically run from $6,478 to $8,834. The clinic's approach is led by Dr. Joan Ramon Garces Gatnau, a dermatologic surgeon with 39 years of experience and over 2,000 Mohs surgeries performed.
Diagnostic Procedures
Accurate diagnosis is the first step. The clinic offers several key tests.
- Scintigraphy: This imaging test helps detect metastasis and may cost around $225.
- Oncologist Consultation: An initial expert evaluation is available for approximately $600.
- Gastroscopy with Biopsy: This procedure examines the digestive tract and costs about $1,215.
- PET-CT Scan: Advanced imaging using Gallium 68 (PSMA) tracer can cost between $5,889 and $7,656.
Available Treatment Options
Centro Médico Teknon provides multiple treatment paths based on the melanoma stage. The multidisciplinary team tailors the plan.
- Melanoma Surgery / Wide Excision: This procedure directly removes cancerous tissue. The cost is typically between $6,478 and $8,834.
- Mohs Micrographic Surgery: Dr. Garces specializes in this layer-by-layer technique. It offers high cure rates while preserving healthy skin.
- Topical Therapy: Medications are applied directly to surface lesions for non-invasive treatment.
- Systemic Therapies: These include targeted drugs for specific genetic mutations and immunotherapy like Keytruda. They help the immune system fight cancer cells.
Expert Medical Team
Dr. Joan Ramon Garces Gatnau, MD, leads the dermatologic oncology care. He has 39 years of expertise and is a member of ESMO and ASCO. His specialization includes photodynamic therapy and managing complex melanoma cases. The clinic itself is JCI and EFQM accredited. It features a multidisciplinary tumor board for collaborative decision-making. Learn more about creating a personalized treatment plan for melanoma at this leading Spanish center.
Hospital certificates and accreditation of quality
Latest review
| Melanoma surgery | $6398.97 - $8725.86 |
| Wide excision of melanoma | $6398.97 - $8725.86 |
| Topical therapy of melanoma | $6398.97 - $8725.86 |
How to get rid of melanoma at 1-2 stages? In Teknon Hospital, specialists provide MOHS, a surgical method to treat melanoma of 1 and 2 stages. A doctor precisely removes the skin with melanoma in very thin layers to eliminate the cancer cells totally. At Teknon, photodynamic therapy(PTD), a minimally-invasive technique is also applied — it helps to treat skin cancer at early stages involving light and a photosensitizing drug.
Get a consultation at Teknon
How does melanoma of the latest stages look like?
Stage 3 melanoma
Starting from stage 3, melanoma becomes significantly thicker and larger. It spreads to neighboring tissues and lymph nodes. In this case, the tumor gets covered by ulcers, and the general well-being of the patient is getting worse. Anyway, there are some innovative options, which can kill melanoma cells even at advanced stages.
Sourasky Hospital
Patients seeking melanoma treatment can find a full spectrum of care at the Sourasky Medical Center (Ichilov) in Tel Aviv, Israel. Diagnostics may cost around $190, a specialist consultation is about $950, and immunotherapy with Keytruda runs around $3,760 per vial. The clinic offers care through a dedicated Melanoma Center led by an experienced director with decades of specialization.
Comprehensive Melanoma Diagnostics
The clinic provides thorough diagnostic workup. This ensures accurate staging for a personalized treatment plan. Available diagnostics include:
- Dermatoscopy with high magnification for detailed skin analysis.
- Full skin photo mapping to track changes over time.
- Laboratory blood tests (CBC and biochemistry).
- Advanced imaging like PET FDG CT scans and MRI with contrast.
- Molecular testing such as the BRAF gene test.
- Second opinion reviews on biopsy materials and CT scans.
These services help determine the exact stage and characteristics of the melanoma.
Treatment Options for Melanoma
The multidisciplinary team tailors treatment to each patient's condition. A combination of expert surgeons and oncologists develops the plan. The main treatment methods available are:
- Surgical excision is the primary curative approach. It involves wide local removal and sentinel node biopsy. This method achieves a high 90% five-year survival rate for stage I disease.
- Immunotherapy like Keytruda (pembrolizumab) is used for advanced cases. It is an anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody administered via infusion. Treatment helps prolong survival compared to chemotherapy.
- Chemotherapy serves as a palliative option for advanced or unresectable tumors.
- Clinical trial access is available through the hospital's Institute of Oncology. This provides pathways to the latest experimental therapies.
Expert Care at Ichilov
Dr. Mor Midovnik directs the Melanoma and Skin Tumors Center. He brings 27 years of experience in clinical and medical oncology. His training includes work at a leading university clinic in Germany. The clinic itself is JCI-accredited and recognized internationally. It operates a dedicated multidisciplinary center for coordinated care. This integrated approach supports the clinic's reported high success rates. Patients can discuss their diagnostic results and all suitable treatment options with the specialist team.
Hospital certificates and accreditation of quality
Latest review
Is immunotherapy effective for melanoma patients? A new test can define this! At Sourasky, specialists carry out a new test that identifies whether patients with melanoma require immunotherapy or not.
Dr. Gilad Weiner, the Head of the laboratory says: “Medical Center Sourasky is the only one in Israel and one of the few in the world that has received FDA certification for this test.”
In 2013, the journal Science called immunotherapy the main scientific breakthrough in cancer treatment. Scientists have proved that a change in the processes between the tumor and the immune system can lead to an immune attack on the tumor. Now, Sourasky doctors apply immunotherapy to treat patients with metastatic melanoma.
Get a consultation at Sourasky
Stage 4 melanoma
Melanoma at the stage 4 is characterized by extensive damage to the tissues. Tumor affects the lymph nodes and distant organs. At the stage 4, melanoma grows into the deep layers of the skin and spreads (metastasized) throughout the body. Patients with the latest melanoma stage can find an appropriate treatment in the hospital represented below.
Medipol Hospital
Medipol Mega University Hospital in Istanbul, Turkey, provides comprehensive care for melanoma patients. A consultation costs around $120, a biopsy may cost $2,500, and immunotherapy with Keytruda runs about $3,300 per injection. The JCI and Academic JCI accredited hospital is equipped with technology like the Da Vinci robot for precise surgery.
Complete Melanoma Diagnostics
The diagnostic process aims to accurately stage the cancer. All testing is available on-site at the hospital.
- PET-CT scan costs around $650-750 for detailed whole-body imaging.
- Brain MRI is approximately $200 to check for metastasis.
- CT scan may cost $400 to examine other organs.
- Blood tests and extended blood analysis range from $400 to $1,000.
- Histological block review for a second opinion on tissue samples is around $400.
Available Treatment Options
Prof. Ahmet Bilici leads the clinical oncology team. He has 24 years of experience specializing in melanoma. The clinic offers a full range of surgical and systemic therapies.
- Biopsy for definitive diagnosis includes tissue sampling and a pathology review.
- Mass excision removes suspicious lesions and may cost between $4,000 and $10,000. This includes the surgery and a hospital stay.
- Melanoma surgery (wide excision) removes cancerous tissue. A complete surgery package typically runs $7,000 to $14,000 and includes hospitalization.
- Immunotherapy uses Keytruda (Pembrolizumab). Each injection costs around $3,300 and is an outpatient procedure.
- Chemotherapy involves cytotoxic drugs. One course of treatment may cost between $350 and $600 for the medication.
The large, 810-bed hospital provides access to advanced equipment like CyberKnife and GammaKnife. This supports personalized treatment plans developed by experienced specialists. Patients can receive coordinated diagnostics and treatment all in one location.
Hospital certificates and accreditation of quality
Latest review
| Melanoma surgery | $7000 - $14000 |
At Medipol, doctors treat patients with melanoma spread to brain using radiosurgery with Gamma Knife method. Gamma Knife destroys damaged brain tissue with gamma rays not affecting healthy tissues. The main benefits of Gamma Knife are the following:
- this is a minimally-invasive surgery without skull opening.
- no risk of infections or other complications as hemorrhage, for example.
- patient has no hair loss after the procedure.
- high accuracy and less discomfort during the procedure.
- reduces hospital stay and boosts the recovery.
If you want to get treatment at Medipol and be sure your health is safe, just click the button for consulting with a specialist.
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How to identify melanoma stage?
Nowadays, medical facilities keep the following classification system to detect melanoma:
- T — the size and thickness of the tumor.
- N — cancer spreads to lymph nodes.
- M — metastases are spread to distant organs.
Specialists around the world use the following indexes to say exactly what stage of cancer it is.
Category T
- Tx: the primary tumor cannot be evaluated.
- T0: there is no evidence of a primary tumor.
- Tis: melanoma in situ. (the tumor is in the epidermis).
- T1a: melanoma is less than or equal to 1.0 mm, without ulcers and with a low mitotic index (less than 1mm²).
- T1b: melanoma is less than or equal to 1.0 mm. The tumor is ulcerated and/or its mitotic velocity is equal to or greater than 1 mm2.
- T2a: melanoma is between 1.01 and 2.0 mm without ulceration.
- T2b: tumor size is from 1.01 to 2.0 mm with ulceration.
- T3a: melanoma is between 2.01 and 4.0 mm without ulceration.
- T3b: melanoma is from 2.01 to 4.0 mm with ulceration.
- T4a: melanoma is thicker than 4.0 mm without ulceration.
- T4b: melanoma is thicker than 4.0 mm with ulceration.
Category N
- Nx: regional lymph nodes cannot be evaluated.
- N0: the tumor did not spread to the local lymph nodes.
- N1: 1 proximal lymph node is affected.
- N2: melanoma affected 2 or 3 of the lymph nodes.
- N3: the tumor has spread to 4 or more lymph nodes.
Category M
- M0: There are no distant metastases.
- M1a: metastasis in the skin, subcutaneous tissue or lymph nodes in distant parts of the body, with a standard level of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in the blood.
- M1b: lung metastases with normal LDH levels.
- M1c: metastases to any other organs with high LDH levels.
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Melanoma prognosis and survival rates
Life expectancy in melanoma patients depends on early detection and immediate treatment of the disease. Melanoma mortality rate is high, and according to various estimates, it is 90-95%. This prognosis is done according to the survival data of 5-year and 10-year periods.
The 5-year survival rate for melanoma is the percentage of patients with a diagnosed disease who survived the 5-year index.
.jpg "Melanoma at different stages")
Stage I— for patients who were diagnosed with stage I melanoma and a tumor size of less than 0.76 mm, the 5-year survival rate is 97%!
If the tumor size exceeds 1.5 mm, then 81% of patients have a chance to get recovered. If the formation is covered with ulcers — the prognosis is 53%.
Stage II— with a tumor size of less than 4 mm, the survival rate is 47% of patients.
Stage III — the prognosis mostly depends on the number of affected lymph nodes. If 1 lymph node is affected, the survival rate reaches 78%; if there are two or more affected nodes — it’s 40%.
Stage IV— according to the American Cancer Society, a 5-year survival rate at stage IV of the disease is 15-20%. The prognosis can be more favorable if the tumor has spread to distant lymph nodes and skin, but NOT to the internal organs.
To get an immediate and effective melanoma treatment, just click on the button below.
Stage | 5-year survival rate |
|---|---|
0 and 1A | 97% |
1B | 95% |
2A | 81% |
2B | 70% |
2C | 53% |
3A | 78% |
3B | 59% |
3C | 40% |
4 | 15-20% |
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| Stage | TNM |
|---|---|
| 0 | Tis, N0, M0 |
| IA | T1a, N0, M0 |
| IB | T1b or T2a, N0, M0 |
| IIA | T2b or T3a, N0, M0 |
| IIB | T3b or T4a, N0, M0 |
| IIC | T4b, N0, M0 |
| IIIA | T1a to T4a, N1a or N2a, M0 |
| IIIB | T1b to T4b, N1a or N2a, M0 |
| or | |
| T1a to T4a, N1b or N2b, M0 | |
| or | |
| T1a to T4a, N2c, M0 | |
| IIIC | T1b to T4b, N1b or N2b, M0 |
| or | |
| T1b to T4b, N2c, M0 | |
| or | |
| Any T, N3, M0 | |
| IV | Any T, any N, M1(a, b, or c) |
What is melanoma metastasis?
Metastasis is a pathogenic agent which spreads to other body organs and affects them.
How to understand that melanoma is metastasized? Specialists determine due to melanoma thickness — the smaller new growth is, the lower is the possibility of melanoma metastasis.
Thickness of melanoma | The probability of metastasis |
|---|---|
up to 0.76 mm | low |
from 0.76 mm to 4.0 mm | avarage |
more then 4.0 mm | high |
The first to be affected are the sentinel lymph nodes (standing guard) because they are the first barrier in the way of lymph drainage. If you do not consult a doctor on time, the metastases will quickly affect other tissues.
At stage 4, melanoma causes metastases in:
- skin and subcutaneous tissues (up to 59% of cases);
- lungs (up to 36%);
- liver (up to 29%);
- the brain (up to 20%);
- bones (up to 17%);
- gastrointestinal tract.
Symptoms of metastatic melanoma at the last stage are:
- general malaise;
- anemia;
- swollen lymph nodes;
- exacerbation of chronic diseases;
- a constant cough;
- weakness;
- loss of appetite and an abrupt decrease in weight;
- pain and aches in the bones;
- gray shade of skin;
- a headache;
- convulsions;
- nausea and vomiting;
- enlargement of the liver.
Metastasis of melanoma | Symptoms | Diagnostics | Treatment of metastases |
|---|---|---|---|
skin and subcutaneous tissue |
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lungs |
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liver |
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brain |
The exact symptoms depend on what part of the brain was affected by metastases. |
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bones |
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gastrointestinal tract |
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Melanoma is one of the most dangerous cancers. At an early stage, it looks like a mole and does not cause symptoms. If melanoma is detected at stages 0, 1, 2, the survival rates are significantly higher (85-97%). However, despite the fact that late-stage melanoma is hard to treat, many patients have all the chances to get recovered.
All medical content on this page is prepared by authors with specialized medical education and reviewed by certified physicians in the relevant field. Medical review by Yesim Yildirim, Clinical oncologist.
Last updated: October 18, 2023.
- Statistics: Figures are based on Bookimed’s internal database January 2026, which includes analysis of 12,450 patient requests across 4 accredited clinics in Turkey.
- Pricing: Cost information is provided directly by Bookimed’s partner clinics and updated regularly to reflect current 2026 market conditions. Actual expenses may differ depending on case complexity, surgeon expertise, and clinic location.
- Clinical Data: Treatment outcomes and patient satisfaction figures are collected from Bookimed’s verified clinic database and supported by data from peer-reviewed medical sources such as PubMed, The Lancet, JAMA, and NEJM (2023–2026).
All data is provided for general informational purposes and may not represent individual results or experiences.