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If melanoma skin cancer spreads

  1. Home
  2. Cancer information
  3. Cancer types
  4. Melanoma (skin)
  5. If cancer spreads
Print

Cancer cells can spread from the area of skin where the cancer started to other parts of the body. This spread is called metastasis.

Understanding how a type of cancer usually grows and spreads helps your healthcare team plan your treatment and future care. If melanoma skin cancer spreads, it can spread to the following:

  • lymph nodes near where the cancer started (called regional lymph nodes)
  • lung
  • liver
  • other areas of skin away from where the cancer started
  • soft tissue under the skin (called subcutaneous tissue)
  • brain
  • gastrointestinal (GI) tract, such as the small intestine
  • bone
  • adrenal gland

Expert review and references

  • American Joint Committee on Cancer. AJCC Cancer Staging Handbook. 7th ed. Chicago: Springer; 2010.
  • American Society of Clinical Oncology. Melanoma. 2015.
  • Canadian Dermatology Association. Malignant Melanoma. https://dermatology.ca/.
  • Petrella T, Ernst S, Spatz A, Claveau J, Wong R, Smylie M. Canadian perspective on the clinical management of metastatic melanoma. New Evidence in Oncology. Toronto, ON: New Evidence; 2012.
  • Ribas A, Slingluff Cl Jr, Rosenberg SA. Cutaneous melanoma. DeVita VT Jr, Lawrence TS, Rosenberg SA. Cancer: Principles and Practice of Oncology. 10th ed. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2015: 94:1346-1394.

Medical disclaimer

The information that the Canadian Cancer Society provides does not replace your relationship with your doctor. The information is for your general use, so be sure to talk to a qualified healthcare professional before making medical decisions or if you have questions about your health.

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