The doctor will ask about your symptoms and medical history and
perform a physical exam. Many cases of melanoma are found during
routine physical exams or when doing a skin self-exam. The
doctor will examine your skin and moles. If any of your moles
look like they may be cancerous, the doctor will take a tissue
sample and send it to a laboratory for testing. A pathologist
will examine the tissue sample under a microscope to check for
cancer cells. Other moles will be monitored over time. The
doctor may also examine lymph nodes in the groin, underarm,
neck, or areas near the suspicious mole. Enlarged lymph nodes
suggest that the melanoma may have spread beyond the mole. The
doctor may need to remove a sample of lymph node tissue to test
for cancer cells. It is important to know whether the melanoma
has extended beyond the tumor site to involve lymph nodes as
this changes both the stage of the tumor and the treatment
required. Once melanoma is found, tests are performed to find
out the thickness of the primary