What is a Breslow melanoma?

Breslow thickness is the measurement of the depth of the melanoma from the surface of your skin down through to the deepest point of the tumour. It’s measured in millimetres (mm) with a small ruler, called a micrometer.

What does Clark’s Level 2 mean?

In Clark Level II, the cancer has begun to spread into the papillary dermis (upper layer of the dermis). In Clark Level III, the cancer has spread through the papillary dermis into the papillary-reticular dermal interface but not into the reticular dermis (lower layer of the dermis).

Is Breslow Depth or Clark’s level more important?

Tumor thickness as defined by the Breslow Depth of Invasion is the most important determinant of prognosis for melanomas.

What is the difference between Breslow and Clark?

The Clark scale is used to determine how many layers of the skin the melanoma has grown into; the Breslow scale is used to determine how thick the melanoma is. The melanoma cells are only in the top layer of the skin, the epidermis.

Is Stage 2 melanoma serious?

Prognosis Stage 2 Melanoma: With appropriate treatment, Stage II melanoma is considered intermediate to high risk for recurrence or metastasis. The 5-year survival rate as of 2018 for local melanoma, including Stage II, is 98.4%. Click here to learn more about melanoma survival rates.

Why is Breslow thickness important?

The Breslow Depth is a helpful measure of how far melanoma has invaded the body. Knowing the depth of melanoma is helpful because it is important when considering future treatment. The Breslow Depth has been replaced by the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging system.

What stage of melanoma is Clark Level 2?

Also called “melanoma in-situ.” Clark’s Level II: Penetration by melanomas into the second layer of the skin, the dermis. Clark’s Levels III-IV: Melanomas invade deeper through the dermis, but are still contained completely within the skin.

Is Clark level the same as stage?

The Clark Level is a staging system that describes the depth of melanoma as it grows in the skin. Your doctor may give you a level for your melanoma in addition to or in place of a stage. These designations are not interchangeable.

What stage is Clark Level 2 melanoma?

Clark’s Level II: Penetration by melanomas into the second layer of the skin, the dermis. Clark’s Levels III-IV: Melanomas invade deeper through the dermis, but are still contained completely within the skin.

What is stage 2 melanoma?

Stage II melanoma extends beyond the epidermis (very outer layer of skin) into the thicker dermis layer of the skin. It is thicker than Stage I melanoma and is slightly more likely to metastasize. There is still no evidence that Stage II melanoma has spread to the lymph tissues, lymph nodes, or body organs.

What does it mean to have stage 2 melanoma?

What happens if you have stage 2 melanoma?

In Stage II melanoma, the cancer cells are in both the first layer of skin—the epidermis—and the second layer of skin—the dermis. The melanoma is higher risk than Stage I, either due to depth of tumor or presence of ulceration, but there is no evidence the cancer has spread to lymph nodes or distant sites (metastasis).

How long can you live with stage 2 melanoma?

Prognosis Stage 2 Melanoma: With appropriate treatment, Stage II melanoma is considered intermediate to high risk for recurrence or metastasis. The 5-year survival rate as of 2018 for local melanoma, including Stage II, is 98.4%.

Is melanoma Stage 2 serious?

Is Level 3 the same as Stage 3 melanoma?

Melanoma can also develop in other organs, such as your eyes and intestines, but this is uncommon. Stage 3 melanoma, also written as stage III, is an advanced form of skin cancer. Unlike in stages 1 and 2, the cancer in stage 3 melanoma has spread from the skin cells to the lymph nodes.

What does Level 2 melanoma mean?

Stage II melanoma extends beyond the epidermis (very outer layer of skin) into the thicker dermis layer of the skin. It is thicker than Stage I melanoma and is slightly more likely to metastasize.

Is Stage 2 melanoma a death sentence?

Learn more about clinical trials here. Prognosis Stage 2 Melanoma: With appropriate treatment, Stage II melanoma is considered intermediate to high risk for recurrence or metastasis. The 5-year survival rate as of 2018 for local melanoma, including Stage II, is 98.4%.

How long do you live after being diagnosed with melanoma?

almost all people (almost 100%) will survive their melanoma for 1 year or more after they are diagnosed. around 90 out of every 100 people (around 90%) will survive their melanoma for 5 years or more after diagnosis.

Is melanoma Stage 2 curable?

Stage 2 melanoma means the tumor is more than 1 mm thick and may be larger or have grown deeper into the skin. It may be ulcerated or not ulcerated. The cancer has not spread to nearby lymph nodes or to distant parts of the body. Surgery to remove the cancerous tumor is the usual treatment strategy.

What is treatment for stage 2 melanoma?

Wide excision (surgery to remove the melanoma and a margin of normal skin around it) is the standard treatment for stage II melanoma.

What is Breslow depth and Clark level?

To determine the Breslow Depth, the thickness of your melanoma is measured with a micrometer—essentially a small ruler. The Clark Level is a staging system that describes the depth of melanoma as it grows in the skin.

What does stage IIA and Breslow depth of 2 mm mean?

Your doctor says that your melanoma is stage IIA (T2bN0M0) and Breslow depth of 2 mm. You wonder what foreign language she’s speaking – indeed, melanoma jargon can be confusing and exasperating. To help you understand why a particular treatment was chosen for you, here is a brief explanation of what these terms mean.

What does level 5 Breslow thickness mean?

Level 5 means the melanoma has grown into the layer of fat under the skin (subcutaneous fat) Breslow thickness is the measurement of the depth of the melanoma from the surface of your skin down through to the deepest point of the tumour. It’s measured in millimetres (mm) with a small ruler, called a micrometer.

What is Breslow’s depth of invasion?

In recognition of his contribution, the depth of invasion of melanoma is referred to by the eponym Breslow’s depth . Subsequent studies confirmed and refined the role of depth of invasion in the prognosis of malignant melanoma.