Booklet: What You Need to Know about Melanoma

Followup Care

Melanoma patients have a high risk of developing separate new melanomas. Some also are at risk for a recurrence of the original melanoma in nearby skin or in other parts of the body.

To increase the chance that a new melanoma will be detected as early as possible, patients should follow their doctor's schedule for regular checkups. It is especially important for patients who have dysplastic nevi and a family history of melanoma to have frequent checkups. Patients also should examine their skin monthly (keeping in mind the "ABCD" guidelines in the Signs and Symptoms of Melanoma section and the skin self-exam guide described in How To Do a Skin Self-Exam) and follow their doctor's advice about how to reduce their chance of developing another melanoma. General information about preventing melanoma is described in the Causes, Risk Factors, and Prevention section.

The chance of recurrence is greater for patients whose melanoma was thick or had spread to nearby tissue than for patients with very thin melanomas. Followup care for those who have a high risk of recurrence may include x-rays; blood tests; and scans of the chest, liver, bones, and brain.

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