Stage 4 melanoma
Stage 4 melanoma is melanoma that has spread to a distant part of the body from where it started. The new areas of cancer are called metastases, and stage 4 melanoma is also called metastatic melanoma. The areas affected may be:
- lymph nodes outside the region of the original tumor
- the skin in a different area from the first melanoma
- one or more internal organs. The organs most often affected are the lungs, liver and brain
Although stage 4 is not divided into separate parts like the other stages, doctors recognize three different categories within stage 4. These depend on where the metastases are located, and whether the patient has increased levels of a blood chemical called lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). A high LDH level is usually a sign that the cancer has spread to the internal organs.
