Being such a late stage melanoma, the metastatic stage has a 10-year survival rate of less than 10% (NIH 2009), with a life expectancy of 2-7 months, depending on the number of organs the cancer has spread to (Treatment Trials 2010).
http://oncosec.com/what-is-metastatic-melanoma/
The number of people diagnosed with melanoma has risen sharply over the past 3 decades. Most people with melanoma are cured by their initial surgery. The 5-year survival rate tells you what percent of people live at least 5 years after the cancer is found. Percent means how many out of 100. Among all people with melanoma of the skin, from the time of initial diagnosis, the 5-year survival is 92%. The 10-year survival is 89%.
http://www.cancer.net/cancer-types/melanoma/statistics
Be that as it may, it is also highly susceptible to different diseases, viruses, and cancers. Different skin types can be more resistant or more susceptible to different conditions. One type of cancer that aggressively attacks the skin is melanoma: the later stage of which is known as metastatic melanoma.
http://oncosec.com/what-is-metastatic-melanoma/
The incidence for melanoma is expected to be 76,250 in 2012 according to the National Cancer Institute. Metastatic melanoma is Stage III and IV of the cancer. This stage involves the spread of melanoma into the lymph nodes and other areas of the body such as the brain, lungs, liver and other organs.
http://oncosec.com/what-is-metastatic-melanoma/
Prognosis and survival depend on many factors. Only a doctor familiar with a person’s medical history, type of cancer, stage, characteristics of the cancer, treatments chosen and response to treatment can put all of this information together with survival statistics to arrive at a prognosis.
http://www.cancer.ca/en/cancer-information/cancer-type/skin-melanoma/prognosis-and-survival/?region=on
As a fast spreading cancer, this can quickly move into the surrounding skin and organs. Described as a cancer of the melanocytes (the cells which produce melanin: a pigment responsible for color in the skin), melanoma can actually start in many areas of the body. However, it is predominantly found in the skin.
http://oncosec.com/what-is-metastatic-melanoma/
Older white men have the highest mortality rates from melanoma. Melanoma is the sixth most common cancer in men and women. Melanoma is the second most common cancer in women ages 20 to 29 in the United States. The incidence of melanoma has increased 690% from 1950 to 2001. Apart from these statistics, if melanoma is detected and treated before it spreads, the 5-year survival rate is 99%.
http://www.clevelandclinicmeded.com/medicalpubs/diseasemanagement/dermatology/cutaneous-malignant-melanoma/
In stage IV melanoma, prognosis is worse with each number of metastatic sites and with metastasis to organs. High serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels and low performance status are also associated with a less favourable outcome in people with stage IV melanoma.
http://www.cancer.ca/en/cancer-information/cancer-type/skin-melanoma/prognosis-and-survival/?region=on
More than 1 million cases of skin cancer will be diagnosed in the United States this year. About 80% of these new skin cancer cases will be basal cell carcinoma, 16% will be squamous cell carcinoma, and 4% will be melanoma.
http://www.clevelandclinicmeded.com/medicalpubs/diseasemanagement/dermatology/cutaneous-malignant-melanoma/
Although nonmelanoma skin cancers (basal and squamous cell carcinomas) are the most common types of malignancies in humans, melanoma ranks as the sixth most common cancer. Although the number of nonmelanoma skin cancers is staggering, they have a better than 95% cure rate if detected and treated early. Mortality is higher with melanoma: An estimated 8110 deaths resulted from melanoma in 2007.
http://www.clevelandclinicmeded.com/medicalpubs/diseasemanagement/dermatology/cutaneous-malignant-melanoma/
what is the survival rate for untreated melanoma
The survival rate for untreated melanoma is 10 year of less than 10 percent. The 10-year survival rate for untreated melanoma is less than 10 percent.