Stage 4 Melanoma Survival Statistics for the U.S.

Stage 4 melanoma survival rates vary, but these statistics will give you a general idea of stage 4 melanoma survival rates for people who live in the U.S. The five-year survival rate represents the percentage of patients alive five years after their initial diagnosis of stage 4 melanoma.

Five-Year Survival Statistics for Stage 4 Melanoma:

• Skin, lymph nodes, colon, or rectum: 14%
  
• Lungs: 4%
  
• Liver, brain, or bone: 3%

Average Survival Statistics for Stage 4 Melanoma:

• Skin, lymph nodes, colon, or rectum: 13 months
  
• Lungs: 8 months
  
• Liver, brain, or bone: 4 months

These stage 4 melanoma survival statistics were derived from a study published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons. Researchers analyzed data from approximately 15,000 patients treated for stage 4 melanoma at the John Wayne Cancer Institute between 1971 and 1993.

Sources:

1. Barth, A. and Wanek, L.A. "Prognostic Factors in 1,521 Melanoma Patients with Distant Metastases." Journal of the American College of Surgeons 181.3 (Sep. 1995): 193-201. PubMed. 21 Aug. 2006 [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=7670677&dopt=Abstract].
   
2. Blecker, D. and Abraham, S. "Melanoma in the Gastrointestinal Tract." The American Journal of Gastroenterology 94.12 (Dec. 1999) 3427-3433. PubMed. 21 Aug. 2006 [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10606298&dopt=Abstract].