About the site

After surgery for melanoma, it is possible to work out the chance of melanoma spreading to a distant part of the body (metastatic or Stage 4 melanoma) and shortening life expectancy. This risk is based on how thick the primary melanoma is when examined under the microscope, whether the melanoma is ulcerated and whether or not lymph nodes are involved. When melanoma has spread to distant parts of the body, it is possible to work out average life expectancy, depending on which part of the body the melanoma has spread to and the results of the LDH blood test.

This website calculates the chance of being alive in the future, based on the information entered about the melanoma. The statistics are derived from the 2009 AJCC Melanoma Staging and Classification. The figures calculated are averages only and should always be used in the context of discussions with a physician.

© 2012 The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust

Risk calculator

Useful links

• The Royal Marsden www.royalmarsden.nhs.uk
• Macmillan Cancer Support www.macmillan.org.uk
• The Institute of Cancer Research www.icr.ac.uk
• Cancer Research UK www.cancerresearchuk.org
• Melanoma International Foundation www.melanomaintl.org
• Cancer52 www.cancer52.org.uk
• Teenage Cancer Trust www.teenagecancertrust.org
• The Royal Marsden Skin Unit www.royalmarsden.nhs.uk