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% |