Words to know: Melanoma
- Melanocyte
- A skin cell that makes pigment (color). Melanoma starts in these cells.
- Mole (nevus)
- A common, usually harmless spot on the skin made of melanocytes.
- Breslow depth
- How thick the melanoma is, measured in millimeters. It is one of the most important parts of staging.
- Ulceration
- When the skin on top of a melanoma is broken down. It can mean a higher stage.
- Mitotic rate
- How many cancer cells are dividing. A higher rate can mean faster growth.
- Melanoma in situ
- Melanoma that is only in the top layer of skin. It is stage 0.
- Excisional biopsy
- Removing a whole spot to look at it under a microscope.
- Wide local excision
- Surgery that removes a melanoma plus a rim of normal skin around it.
- Lymph nodes
- Small bean-shaped glands that are part of the immune system. Melanoma can spread to them.
- Sentinel lymph node
- The first lymph node or nodes that fluid from the melanoma drains to. They are checked for hidden spread.
- In-transit metastasis
- Melanoma spots in the skin between the first melanoma and the nearby lymph nodes.
- Metastatic
- Cancer that has spread from where it started to other parts of the body.
- Adjuvant therapy
- Treatment given after surgery to lower the chance the cancer comes back.
- Neoadjuvant therapy
- Treatment given before surgery.
- Immunotherapy
- Treatment that helps your immune system fight cancer.
- Checkpoint inhibitor
- A type of immunotherapy that takes the brakes off immune cells so they can attack cancer.
- Targeted therapy
- Medicine that blocks a specific gene change or protein in cancer cells.
- BRAF
- A gene that, when changed, can make melanoma grow. It can be blocked with targeted pills.
- TIL therapy
- Treatment that uses immune cells taken from your own tumor, grown in a lab, and given back to you.
- Lymphedema
- Long-lasting swelling, often in an arm or leg, after lymph nodes are removed or damaged.
- UV light
- Invisible rays from the sun and tanning beds that can damage skin and cause skin cancer.
- Dermatologist
- A doctor who specializes in skin.
- Oncologist
- A doctor who treats cancer.
- Palliative care
- Care that eases symptoms and improves quality of life at any stage of illness.
- Clinical trial
- A research study that tests new treatments in people.
Last updated: 2026-10-27. Medically reviewed by Veli Bakalov, MD, medical oncologist (October 2026). General education from Step by Step, the patient portal of HemeOncBuddy.