After the treatment, there are chances of relapse. A second tumor may develop in other parts of your skin or even in distant tissues. Your survival rate depends largely on the stage of the tumor at diagnosis. However, the prognosis of melanoma is often excellent, unlike many other cancers.
Survival rate of melanoma differs from one race to another. According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the overall 5-year relative survival rate for 1999-2005 was 91.4%. Five-year relative survival rates by race and sex were approximately:
- 89.0% for white men;
- 93.9% for white women;
- 73.3% for black men;
- 80.4% for black women.