After treatment, all patients with Stage II melanoma should receive a physical examination, including a skin examination, on the following schedule:

• Year 1: every 3 months
• Year 2: every 4 months
• Years 3-5: every 6 months
• After Year 5: at least every 12 months

As part of their examination, patients with Stage IIB or IIC melanoma should also be tested for serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH).

The frequency of examinations after five years will depend on the perceived level of risk for the recurrence of the previous tumor, as well as for new primary melanomas.

With treatment, Stage II melanoma is considered intermediate- to high-risk for local recurrence or distant metastasis. Therefore, early detection of melanoma through skin self-examination and medical examination continues to be of the utmost importance.

Prognosis

Large-scale studies indicate the following probabilities of disease-free survival five years after treatment:

• Stage IIA: 76-79%
• Stage IIB: 62-69%
• Stage IIC: 43-47%¹

See also If Melanoma Recurs.