Prognosis

By Mia Wangsmo Steffenssen MD, Mike Mikkelsen Lorenzen, MD and Pia Sjøgren MD

Prognosis depends on thickness of primary tumor, metastasis to regional lymph nodes, ulceration, sex, age and site of the tumor. 

More metastatic lymph nodes that are involved worsens the prognosis. The 10 year survival with one metastasis is about 50 %, with 2-3 it is about 30 %. 

Prognosis is substantially worsen with extranodal growth. 

Survival rates by individual stage, according to the 2008 AJCC Melanoma Staging Database, are as follows:

Stage	5-year survival	10-year survival
Stage IA	97 %	95 %
Stage IB	92 %	86 %
Stage IIA	81 %	67 %
Stage IIB	70 %	57 %
Stage IIC	53 %	40 %
Stage IIIA	78 %	68 %
Stage IIIB	59 %	43 %
Stage IIIC	40 %	24 %
Stage IV	15-20 %	10-15%