Types of Melanoma

Types list: The list of types of Melanoma mentioned in various sources includes:

Areas affected by melanoma:
- Cutaneous melanoma - melanoma affecting the skin and moles.
- Ocular melanoma - melanoma affecting the eyes.
- Melanoma of the meninges, melanoma of digestive tract, melanoma of lymph nodes
Stage of melanoma:
- Metastatic melanoma
- Multiple melanoma

Types discussion: Melanoma occurs when melanocytes (pigment cells) become malignant. Most pigment cells are in the skin; when melanoma starts in the skin, the disease is called cutaneous melanoma. Melanoma may also occur in the eye and is called ocular melanoma or intraocular melanoma. Rarely, melanoma may arise in the meninges, the digestive tract, lymph nodes, or other areas where melanocytes are found. Melanomas arising in areas other than the skin are not discussed in this booklet.¹

When melanoma spreads, cancer cells are also found in the lymph nodes (also called lymph glands). If the cancer has reached the lymph nodes, it may mean that cancer cells have spread to other parts of the body such as the liver, lungs, or brain. In such cases, the cancer cells in the new tumor are still melanoma cells, and the disease is called metastatic melanoma rather than liver, lung, or brain cancer.¹

Footnotes:
1. excerpt from What You Need To Know About Melanoma: NCI

Last revision: June 2, 2003

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