Melanoma is a cancer of the skin caused when the color-producing cells of the body begin to develop out of control. The condition can occur in any part of the body, and symptoms include new growth or enlargement of an existing mole. To assess the severity of the disease and decide on a treatment plan, doctors need to identify the stage of the disease. Read on to know about the different stages of melanoma.

• Stage 0 – In this stage, the cancer cells remain restricted to the epidermal layer of the skin and do not penetrate the body. This stage is also referred to as “melanoma in situ.” Among the various stages of melanoma, in this stage, the disease can be thwarted via surgery.
• Stage 1 – If the melanoma that has not spread beyond 2 mm in thickness, then it is Stage 1 melanoma cancer. This stage signifies that cancer cells have not spread beyond the site of the tumor. Also, in this stage, the tumor may or may not get ulcerated. This stage is further bifurcated into two sub-stages known as IA and IB. The IA stage defines a tumor that has not grown more than 1 mm in thickness but may have damaged the top layer of the skin. The IB stage signifies a tumor that is in the range of 1 mm-2 mm in thickness, but has not damaged the top layer of the skin.
• Stage 2 – Among the different stages of melanoma, this stage carries the risk of cancer spreading across lymph nodes. This stage is also divided into three sub-classes: IIA, IIB, and IIC. In the IIA stage, the tumor either has a thickness of 1 to 2 mm, with the top layer of the skin broken, or 2 to 4 mm, without any signs of skin getting damaged. In the IIB stage, the tumor either is 2 to 4 mm in thickness with skin damage or more than 4 mm in thickness without any damage to the skin. The IIC stage comprises of tumors that have gone beyond 4 mm in thickness and have caused damage to the top layer of the skin.
• Stage 3 – This is the stage where cancerous cells spread across lymph nodes present near the tumor, but not to long-distance organs. Furthermore, in this stage, the tumor gets ulcerated and may bear a thickness of more than 4 mm.
• Stage 4 – This stage is where the cancer cells spread from the original site and reach different parts of the body, even distant organs like the brain, bone, liver, and soft tissues.

Detection of the tumor in the early stages increases the chances of survival and helps in better management of the disease. Furthermore, it stops cancer from spreading to other organs in the body.