Stages of Melanoma
Stage 0: When the cancer cells are on the outer layer of the skin cells and have yet to go deep into the tissues.
Stage I: A thin layer of a tumor (about 1 to 2 millimeters) that is on the outer layer of the skin.
Stage II: The tumor is over 2 millimeters in size.
Stage III: The cancer cells have spread to nearby tissues or lymph nodes.
Stage IV: Melanoma has reached organs, lymph nodes, and possibly skin areas away from the original tumor.