When a melanoma is first removed, it will be examined by a pathologist to check how deeply the melanoma has gone into the skin.

If you have any questions about your treatment don't be afraid to ask your doctor or the nurses looking after you. It often helps to make a list of questions for your doctor and to take a close friend or relative to the discussion with you.

Melanoma in situ

Melanoma in situ, or melanocytic intraepithelial neoplasia (MIN) is the very earliest stage of melanoma, where the melanoma cells are just in the very top layer of skin (epidermis).

It is usually cured by removing the affected area plus an area of normal skin around it.

Early melanoma

If the melanoma is less than 1mm thick, the risk of it coming back is very low. You will not usually need any more treatment after it has been removed.

In people with early-stage melanoma, surgery has a very high chance of completely curing the cancer. The surgery will leave a scar on the skin. However, if the surgery is not done, the melanoma is likely to spread into the deeper layers of the skin and may then spread to other areas of the body.