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Follow-Up for Stage III Melanoma

 

Type of Followup            

 Description of Followup

Physical
Examination (skin examination, chest

x-rays, CT scans (trunk,pelvis, head)         

Year 1: every 3 months

Year 2 : every 4 months

Years 3-5: at least every 6 months

Annually after 5 years

 Testing for LDH 

(Serum Lactate Dehydrogenase)

For all patients at same time as

physical exam

 

 

All patients with Stage III melanoma should have a physical examination, including LDH testing, skin examination, chest x-rays, CT scans of trunk, pelvis and head every 3 months for the first year, every 4 months for the second year, every 6 months for years 3-5, and annually after 5 years.

 

With treatment, Stage III melanoma is considered intermediate- to high-risk for local recurrence or distant metastasis. Therefore, early detection of melanoma through skin self- examination and medical examination continues to be of utmost importance.

 

Large-scale studies have shown the following probabilities of disease-free survival. Keep in mind that the statistics shown for survival are averages; everyone's cancer and survival rate is based on many factors and determined on an individual basis.  

   

Survival

                             

 

5 years after treatment [1]   10 years after treatment [1]
 Stage IIIA    57% -73%   Stage IIIA:    48% -51%
 Stage IIIB    50%-68%   

Stage IIIB:    44% - 60% 

 
 Stage IIIC    27% - 52%

Stage IIIC:    22% - 37%

 

                   

 

 

For more on what to do if Melanoma Recurs click here

  


 

 

 

Reference: [1]American Cancer Society; [2]Balch CM, Buzaid AC, Soong S-J, et al. Final version of the American Joint Committee on Cancer staging system for cutaneous melanoma. J Clin Oncol. 2001;19(16):3635-3648.