In short
Surgery is the main treatment for early melanoma — a wider excision, and sometimes a sentinel node biopsy. Immunotherapy or targeted drugs are used if the melanoma has spread or is at high risk of coming back. Stage 1 survival is over 90%.
A skin cancer multidisciplinary team plans care. BRAF gene tests decide whether certain targeted tablets are an option in advanced disease.
What does wider excision mean?
Extra skin is taken around the original site. The margin depends on Breslow thickness. Plastic surgery is sometimes needed on the face or hands.
When are immunotherapy or targeted drugs used?
For stage 3 or 4 disease, and sometimes after surgery when the risk of relapse is high. These drugs are specialist oncology treatments with immune-related side effects that need prompt reporting.
What World Aid Network will and will not fund?
We pay clinical bills at partner hospitals in Pakistan, Indonesia and Malaysia when a licensed oncologist has recommended a treatment the hospital can actually give. We do not run immunotherapy trials or UK private care.
What are the key takeaways?
- Surgery cures most early melanomas.
- Immunotherapy is for later or high-risk disease.
- WAN funds overseas access, not research.
Care like this is out of reach for millions
The diagnosis, screening and treatment described here are routine in the UK. In Pakistan, Indonesia and Malaysia, poverty puts them out of reach — so a treatable cancer too often becomes a fatal one. World Aid Network funds treatment through locally-licensed oncologists for patients who cannot pay.
Frequently asked questions
Will I need chemotherapy?
Classic chemotherapy is rarely first-line for melanoma now. Immunotherapy and targeted drugs are.
Can melanoma come back years later?
It can. Report a new lump, cough or unexplained weight loss, and keep checking your skin.
Do you fund Keytruda overseas?
Only if a partner hospital uses that class of drug and has recommended it. We do not promise named brand access.
This guide is general information, not medical advice. It was reviewed by the World Aid Network editorial team for accuracy against NHS and World Health Organization sources. Always speak to a GP or qualified clinician about your own health.