How fast does nodular melanoma kill?

“Melanoma can grow extremely quickly and can become life-threatening in as little as six weeks,” noted Dr. Duncanson. “If left untreated, melanoma begins to spread, advancing its stage and worsening the prognosis.”

Can you die from nodular melanoma?

Nodular melanoma is a type of skin cancer. It’s a dangerous form of melanoma that grows quickly. Only about 15\% of all melanomas are nodular. But it causes nearly half of melanoma-related deaths.

Is nodular melanoma a death sentence?

Conclusion. Nodular melanoma tends to spread rapidly and eventually metastasize to vital organs. It may be fatal within months of recognition.

How quickly can nodular melanoma spread?

Unlike some other types of skin cancer, nodular melanomas typically begin as a new growth, rather than developing within a pre-existing mole. It can take as little as three months for these types of cancer to spread internally.

How do you tell if you have nodular melanoma?

The characteristics of nodular melanoma include:

1. Larger size than most moles – >6 mm and often a centimetre or more in diameter at diagnosis.
2. Dome-shaped, often symmetrical firm lump.
3. Single colour or variable pigmentation – most often black, red or skin coloured.
4. Smooth, rough, crusted or warty surface.

How aggressive is nodular melanoma?

Nodular melanoma is the second most common type of melanoma, accounting for around 15 percent of all cases. It grows faster than other forms of the disease, which is why it’s considered aggressive.

How do you know if you have nodular melanoma?

The characteristics of nodular melanoma include: Larger size than most moles – >6 mm and often a centimetre or more in diameter at diagnosis. Dome-shaped, often symmetrical firm lump. Single colour or variable pigmentation – most often black, red or skin coloured.

Is nodular melanoma curable?

Nodular melanoma is highly curable when diagnosed early. However, because nodular melanoma grows so quickly, it is often found at a more advanced stage.

How long does it take for nodular melanoma to spread?

It can take as little as three months for these types of cancer to spread internally. Nodular melanoma can quickly jump to advanced stages. That is part of what makes this type of skin cancer so deadly. Advanced stages of nodular melanoma are difficult to successfully treat.

The superficial spreading radial phase gives the patient plenty of time to catch it in a curable stage. Nodular melanoma can spring out of nowhere and start growing vertically before it spreads laterally, fooling the patient into thinking that the tiny new bump on their skin is “nothing.”

What is the stage zero phase of nodular melanoma?

Nodular melanoma is so ruthless that you do NOT want to wait for it to reach the height of a pencil eraser or even one-eighth of that before seeking medical attention. There is no stage zero phase for this kind of skin cancer.

What is the survival rate for Stage 4 melanoma?

The five-year survival rate then drops to around 62 percent because of the high risk that the cancer can spread from the nodes throughout the body. Once a tumor has spread to distant body sites such as organs, it is considered a stage IV melanoma, with an estimated five-year survival rate of only 18 percent in the U.S.