Melanoma and skin cancer treatment

What is melanoma and skin cancer treatment?

Skin cancer comes in different types. The most common are basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), together called non-melanoma skin cancer, which are usually treated successfully by removing them. Melanoma is less common but more serious, because it is more likely to spread if not caught early.

For early skin cancers, treatment is usually surgery to remove the cancer with a margin of healthy skin, sometimes with other local treatments. For melanoma that has spread to lymph nodes or further (advanced melanoma), treatment may involve drug treatments — immunotherapy (which helps your immune system attack the cancer) or targeted therapy (for melanomas with a BRAF gene change) — and sometimes radiotherapy.

Every plan is made by a specialist skin cancer multidisciplinary team (MDT) after the cancer has been examined under a microscope and, for melanoma, staged. Whether the cancer is BRAF-positive matters, because it affects which drugs may help, so this is tested for in higher-risk melanoma.

The aim of treatment is described honestly as either curative intent (removing or destroying the cancer) or, for advanced disease, control of the cancer and easing symptoms. This guide is an overview of the whole pathway. It cannot promise a cure, it cannot give you a number for your own outlook, and it does not replace the discussion you should have with your own skin cancer team.

Types, options & approaches

There may be different ways to do this. The right approach depends on the clinical question and your circumstances.

Early skin cancer versus advanced melanoma

Most skin cancers are caught early. The serious, systemic treatments mainly apply to melanoma that has spread.

Preparing for your treatment

• Make sure the diagnosis and type of skin cancer are confirmed under a microscope, and for melanoma that it has been staged.
• Ask whether your case has been discussed by the skin cancer multidisciplinary team (MDT) and what they recommended.
• For melanoma, ask whether BRAF testing has been done, as it affects which drug treatments may help.
• Bring a full list of your medicines and conditions, especially any autoimmune conditions, which matter for immunotherapy.
• Ask what the surgery or treatment will involve, including scarring, wound care and any lymph node procedure.
• Plan practical support and transport, particularly if you are starting drug treatment over several months.
• Write down your questions and consider bringing someone with you to appointments.

What happens

After tests confirm the type and, for melanoma, the stage, the MDT recommends a plan and you meet the relevant specialists — a skin surgeon, a medical oncologist (for drug treatments) and/or a clinical oncologist (for radiotherapy).

For early skin cancer, surgery is often done under local anaesthetic as a day case: the cancer is removed with a margin and the wound is closed, sometimes with a skin graft or flap for larger areas. The removed tissue is examined to confirm the cancer has been fully removed.

For advanced melanoma, immunotherapy is usually given as a drip in clinic every few weeks over many months, while targeted therapy is taken as tablets at home with regular reviews. You are monitored with examinations, blood tests and scans, and side effects are watched for closely — especially the immune-related effects that immunotherapy can cause. A specialist nurse is usually your main point of contact throughout.

Is this treatment right for me?

A good consultation should explore whether it's the right choice for you now — including reasons to wait or consider something else.

Before you decide

Use this as a shared-decision checklist. The aim is not just “can this be done?”, but whether it is right for you, now, with the risks and alternatives clearly understood.

Comfort, sedation or contrast choices

If local anaesthetic, sedation, contrast or pain relief is used, ask what is planned, why, and what it means afterwards.

For early skin cancer, the main issues are the scar and making sure the cancer is fully removed. For advanced melanoma, the biggest uncertainties are whether the drug will work and how well you will tolerate it. Immunotherapy can cause immune-related side effects anywhere in the body, occasionally serious or lasting, so it is important to report new symptoms early. Ask your team: is treatment trying to cure or control the cancer, and what side effects should I watch for.

Published figures to discuss

Survival varies a great deal by skin cancer type and, for melanoma, by stage, and the figures below are population averages from Cancer Research UK, not predictions for any individual. Modern immunotherapy has improved outcomes for advanced melanoma, so older figures may understate current results, and UK survival figures for stage 4 melanoma on the newest treatments are not yet established. Use these only to understand that early diagnosis matters, and discuss your own situation with your team.

These are literature figures, not a personalised prediction. Your own risks and likely benefits depend on your circumstances, your health, and how your care is carried out and followed up.

What happens afterwards

Recovery differs by treatment. After skin surgery there is wound healing and a scar that settles over months. With immunotherapy or targeted therapy there is no wound to heal, but you may have side effects to manage over the months of treatment and sometimes afterwards.

• A healing wound and a scar that gradually fades and softens after surgery
• Tiredness during months of drug treatment
• Skin rash or itch, or mild bowel changes, with immunotherapy
• Fever, aches or rash with targeted therapy in the early weeks
• Ups and downs in mood while waiting for results or scans

Aftercare

• Look after surgical wounds as advised, and protect healing skin and scars from the sun.
• Keep a written record of your treatment, drug names and your team's contact numbers.
• Report any new symptom during immunotherapy promptly — diarrhoea, breathlessness, severe tiredness or feeling generally unwell can signal immune-related side effects.
• Take targeted-therapy tablets exactly as prescribed and attend monitoring appointments.
• Carry an alert card if given one for immunotherapy, so other clinicians know you are on it.
• Protect your skin from the sun and check your own skin regularly, as new skin cancers can develop.
• Attend all follow-up appointments, skin checks and scans.

• A written treatment plan stating the type, stage (for melanoma) and aim of treatment
• The name and number of your clinical nurse specialist or key worker
• Clear written instructions on which side effects to report urgently
• An immunotherapy alert card, if you are given one
• Wound-care supplies and sun-protection arranged after surgery
• Transport and time arranged for ongoing treatment appointments
• Someone to support you at appointments and at home

⚠ Get urgent help if…

• New or worsening diarrhoea, tummy pain or blood in the stool during immunotherapy (possible bowel inflammation)
• Breathlessness or a new cough during immunotherapy (possible lung inflammation)
• Severe tiredness, dizziness, feeling very unwell, or yellowing of the skin or eyes (possible hormone, adrenal or liver problems)
• A wound that becomes red, hot, swollen or discharges (possible infection)
• A new, changing or bleeding skin spot, or a lump near a previous melanoma
• Severe rash, blistering or mouth ulcers
• Any symptom your team has told you to report urgently

Who to contact: your clinician, clinic or test provider first (keep their number to hand). For urgent advice when you can't reach them, call NHS 111. In an emergency, call 999.

General guidance — it doesn't replace the specific advice your specialist gives you.

Results & realistic expectations

For early skin cancer, a good result means the cancer has been fully removed (confirmed on pathology) with a wound that heals and a scar that settles. For advanced melanoma, a good response means the cancer shrinks or is controlled on scans while side effects stay manageable; for some people on immunotherapy this control lasts a long time.

A reassuring result does not remove all risk: skin cancers can recur, and people who have had one skin cancer are at higher risk of another. That is why follow-up, skin checks and sun protection continue. Your team can explain what your results mean for you, but cannot give a guarantee.

How long the benefit lasts depends on the type and, for melanoma, the stage and biology. Most early BCCs and SCCs are cured by removal, though new ones can appear over time. Early melanoma that is fully removed often does well, while advanced melanoma is more uncertain — some people gain long-lasting control with immunotherapy, while in others the cancer returns and further treatment is needed. Your team will explain the realistic picture for your situation.

Related tests, treatments or support

Skin cancer treatment may combine approaches — for example surgery followed by immunotherapy or targeted therapy to lower the chance of melanoma returning, or surgery plus radiotherapy where needed. Sun protection, regular skin checks and management of any side effects run alongside the main treatment.

Follow-up & long-term care

After treatment you are followed up with skin checks, examinations and, for melanoma, scans on a schedule that depends on the type and stage. The aim is to find any recurrence or new skin cancer early and to manage side effects. You should be told who to contact, and how quickly, if you notice a new or changing skin spot or other symptoms between appointments.

• Lifelong sun protection and regular self-examination of your skin
• Ongoing monitoring or treatment of any lasting immunotherapy side effects, such as an underactive thyroid
• Regular follow-up appointments and skin checks on a schedule set by your team
• Scans for higher-risk melanoma as advised
• Care of any lymphoedema after lymph node surgery

Repeat, follow-on and what comes next

• If a removed melanoma is found not to have a clear margin, a further (wider) excision may be advised.
• Drug treatment is often given in lines: if one stops working, the team may switch from targeted therapy to immunotherapy or vice versa.
• Immunotherapy is commonly paused and steroids given to settle immune-related side effects, then sometimes restarted.
• People who have had one skin cancer often need further treatment for new skin cancers over time.

Ask what happens if the result is unclear or needs repeating, and what is included if further tests or follow-up are needed.

What good aftercare looks like

• A named clinical nurse specialist or key worker as your point of contact
• Clear, written instructions on immunotherapy side effects and an alert card where appropriate
• Organised follow-up with skin checks and, for melanoma, scans on a clear schedule
• Advice on sun protection and how to check your own skin
• Coordination with your NHS team and GP, and access to psychological support

What affects the cost

Costs vary a great deal between people and providers, and we don't publish prices. What matters is understanding what drives the cost and making sure your quote is complete. The main things that affect it:

• Whether treatment is surgery, drug treatment (immunotherapy or targeted therapy), radiotherapy or a combination
• The size and site of the cancer, and whether a graft, flap or lymph node procedure is needed
• The specific drugs used and how long drug treatment continues
• Hospital or clinic fees and any anaesthetic
• Pathology and, for melanoma, BRAF and other tumour testing
• Specialist nurse support and monitoring for side effects
• Follow-up skin checks, scans and appointments over time

• Exactly which treatments are included, and the aim (curative or palliative)
• Consultant (surgeon and oncologist) fees and facility fees
• Anaesthetic, if surgery is involved
• Drug costs and how long immunotherapy or targeted therapy is planned
• Pathology and any BRAF or other tumour testing
• Follow-up skin checks, scans and appointments
• What happens, and who pays, if a complication or side effect occurs

On the NHS? Almost all skin cancer treatment is provided and funded by the NHS through a specialist multidisciplinary team; private care is generally used for speed, choice or a second opinion rather than for a different chance of cure.

You're entitled to your total cost in writing — including reports, follow-up and what happens if the result is inconclusive — before you decide.

Consent traps and marketing red flags

These are not small details. They are often where patients lose choice, time to reflect, or realistic expectations.

Choosing a specialist safely

• Check the specialist is on the GMC Specialist Register for this area.
• Make sure they work at a CQC-registered service, and look for membership of the relevant Royal College or professional body.
• You're entitled to time to consider and to have your questions answered before you agree — the specialist who looks after you should explain it, not a salesperson.
• Be wary of pressure: time-limited offers or deposits taken before you've had time to think are red flags, not bargains.
• You're entitled to your total cost in writing — including any follow-up — before you decide.

How Vuemedics verifies every consultant →

Take this to your consultation. A good specialist will welcome every one of these.

• What type and, for melanoma, what stage of skin cancer do I have, and was my case discussed by the MDT?
• Is the aim of my treatment to cure the cancer or to control it?
• For melanoma, has BRAF testing been done, and does it affect my options?
• What does my surgery involve, including the likely scar and any lymph node procedure?
• If I am offered immunotherapy, what side effects should I watch for and report urgently?
• What is my risk of the cancer coming back or of a new skin cancer, and how will we watch for it?
• Who is my main point of contact, and when should I ring urgently?
• Are you on the GMC Specialist Register for this area, and which Royal College or professional body are you a member of?
• Will you be the specialist who carries out my treatment, and who looks after me afterwards?
• What are the risks for someone like me, and how often do your own patients have a problem or need it repeated or redone?
• What does a realistic result look like — and what can this treatment not achieve?
• What are my options, including waiting, doing nothing for now, or choosing a different approach?
• Can I have written information, results and aftercare instructions in a format I can use, including any accessibility or communication support I need?
• What is the total cost in writing, including any follow-ups, and how much time do I have to decide?

Find a verified specialist for melanoma and skin cancer treatment

Every consultant is GMC-checked and independently reviewed. Search by postcode and distance, or switch to a map. Ordered by rating, relevance and recency — never by who pays.

How we made this page

Medically reviewed by a GMC-registered consultant. Written in plain English, checked against NHS, NICE, GMC and relevant Royal College / specialist-society guidance, and kept under review. No clinic paid to appear on this page, and we publish no pricing. This is general information to help you prepare — it is not a substitute for advice from your own clinician. How we review our guides →

Source hierarchy: UK regulator and NHS/NICE guidance first, then relevant Royal College or specialist-society guidance, then peer-reviewed evidence for procedure-specific figures where available.

Sources & standards: NICE — Melanoma: assessment and management (NG14) Cancer Research UK — Melanoma survival by stage Cancer Research UK — Targeted drugs and immunotherapy for melanoma NHS — Melanoma skin cancer NHS — Non-melanoma skin cancer

Reviews reflect patients' experience of care, not clinical outcomes. For procedure volumes and outcome data see PHIN.

Last medically reviewed 2026-09-21. Spotted something wrong or out of date? Report an error in this guide.