--- title: Skin Cancer Stages | Georgia Radiation Therapy description: After a skin cancer diagnosis, the oncologist will need to determine the extent (stage) of the disease in order to prepare the best treatment plan. Learn more about the different stages of skin cancer. --- [![RCOG-2025](https://georgiaradiationtherapy.com/hubfs/RCOG-2025.png)](https://georgiaradiationtherapy.com/locations) - [Home](https://georgiaradiationtherapy.com) - For Patients - - [Request an Appointment](https://georgiaradiationtherapy.com/request-an-appointment) - [First Appointment](https://georgiaradiationtherapy.com/what-to-expect-at-your-first-appointment) - [Second Opinions](https://georgiaradiationtherapy.com/second-opinions) - [Nutritional Services](https://georgiaradiationtherapy.com/nutritional-services) - [Insurance](https://georgiaradiationtherapy.com/insurance) - [Hope Lodge](https://georgiaradiationtherapy.com/hope-lodge) - [Veterans](https://georgiaradiationtherapy.com/veterans) - [Patient Forms](https://georgiaradiationtherapy.com/patient-forms) - [Patient Portal](https://georgiaradiationtherapy.com/patient-portal) - Your Treatments - - [Radiation Oncology](https://georgiaradiationtherapy.com/radiation-oncology) - [Prostate Cancer](https://georgiaradiationtherapy.com/prostate-cancer-treatment) - [Breast Cancer](https://georgiaradiationtherapy.com/breast-cancer) - [Lung Cancer](https://georgiaradiationtherapy.com/lung-cancer-treatment) - [Skin Cancer](https://georgiaradiationtherapy.com/skin-cancer) - [Colorectal Cancer](https://georgiaradiationtherapy.com/colorectal-cancer-treatment) - [Head and Neck Cancer](https://georgiaradiationtherapy.com/head-and-neck-cancer-treatment) - [Gynecologic Cancers](https://georgiaradiationtherapy.com/gynecologic-cancers-treatment) - [Esophageal Cancer](https://georgiaradiationtherapy.com/esophageal-cancer) - [Other Cancers](https://georgiaradiationtherapy.com/other-cancer-treatment) - [Osteoarthritis](https://georgiaradiationtherapy.com/low-dose-radiation-therapy-for-osteoarthritis) - [Cancer Education Blog](https://georgiaradiationtherapy.com/blog) - Technologies - - [Halcyon Radiation Therapy](https://georgiaradiationtherapy.com/halcyon-radiation-therapy) - [TrueBeam Radiation Therapy](https://georgiaradiationtherapy.com/truebeam-radiotherapy) - [Other External Radiation Therapies](https://georgiaradiationtherapy.com/external-radiation-therapies) - [Low-Dose Radiation Therapy for Osteoarthritis](https://georgiaradiationtherapy.com/low-dose-radiation-therapy-for-osteoarthritis) - [ProstRcision](https://georgiaradiationtherapy.com/prostate-cancer-treatment/what-is-prostrcision) - [Brachytherapy](https://georgiaradiationtherapy.com/brachytherapy) - [Radiation Treatment Planning Technologies](https://georgiaradiationtherapy.com/radiation-treatment-planning-technologies) - Physicians - - [Radiotherapy Clinics of Georgia](https://georgiaradiationtherapy.com/rcog-physicians) - Locations - - [Radiotherapy Clinics of Georgia](https://georgiaradiationtherapy.com/locations) - About - - [Alumni](https://georgiaradiationtherapy.com/alumni) - [Hope Lodge](https://georgiaradiationtherapy.com/hope-lodge) - [Blog](https://georgiaradiationtherapy.com/blog) # Stages of Skin Cancer In This Section - [Overview](https://georgiaradiationtherapy.com/skin-cancer) - [Stages](https://georgiaradiationtherapy.com/skin-cancer/stages) - [Treatments](https://georgiaradiationtherapy.com/skin-cancer/treatments) ![rcog-breast-cancer-stages](https://georgiaradiationtherapy.com/hs-fs/hubfs/rcog-breast-cancer-stages.jpg?width=1100&height=600&name=rcog-breast-cancer-stages.jpg) If biopsy results determine that skin cancer is present, your oncologist will need to know the stage (extent) of the disease. Staging is a careful attempt to learn how thick the tumor is, and if it has spread. If the tumor is thick, the doctor may order additional tests, such as chest x-rays, blood tests, and scans of the liver, bones, and brain. Knowing the stage of your cancer helps the oncologist: - Understand the seriousness of the cancer and your chances of survival - Plan the best course of treatment  - Identify clinical trials that may be options for treatment There might be times when the oncologist needs to check the lymph nodes to stage the cancer (such surgery may be considered part of the treatment because removing cancerous lymph nodes may help control the disease). The stage of the skin cancer is based on: - The size of the growth - How deeply it has grown beneath the top layer of skin - Whether it has spread to nearby lymph nodes or to other parts of the body Roman numerals I through IV are used to indicate the stage of the cancer. Stage I cancers are small and limited to the area where they began. Stage IV indicates advanced cancer that has spread to other areas of the body. ## Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer Staging Doctors use the results from diagnostic tests and scans to answer questions about each patient’s individual cancer and then stage it in the following way:   - **Stage 0**: This is called carcinoma in situ or a precancerous lesion. Cancer cells are found only in the top layers of the skin. - **Stage I:** The primary tumor is 2 centimeters (cm) or smaller at its widest part. The cancer has not spread to the lymph nodes or to other parts of the body. - **Stage IIA**: The tumor is larger than 2 cm and has not spread to the lymph nodes or other parts of the body. - **Stage IIB**: The tumor has grown into nearby tissues, such as muscles, cartilage, or bone. It has not spread to the lymph nodes or elsewhere in the body. - **Stage III**: The cancer has spread to the lymph nodes. The tumor can be any size and may have spread to nearby bone, muscle, connective tissue, or cartilage. - **Stage IV:** The tumor has spread to distant parts of the body, such as the liver, lung, bone, or brain. ## Melanoma Staging The following stages are used for melanoma: - **Stage 0**: In stage 0, the melanoma cells are found only in the outer layer of skin cells and have not invaded deeper tissues.Stage 0 is also called melanoma in situ. - **Stage I**: Melanoma in stage I is thin: - **Stage II** is broken into IIA, IIB, and IIC:  - **Stage III** is divided into stages IIIA, IIIB, IIIC, and IIID - **Stage IV**: The melanoma cells have spread to other organs, to lymph nodes, or to skin areas far away from the original tumor. - **Recurrent**: Recurrent disease means that the cancer has come back (recurred) after it has been treated. It may have come back in the original site or in another part of the body. - [Home](https://georgiaradiationtherapy.com/) - [Locations](https://georgiaradiationtherapy.com/locations) - [Cancer Education Blog](https://georgiaradiationtherapy.com/blog) RCOG ©2026 All rights reserved. × ### Superior Inbound Material Quickly and efficiently build the materials you need to support your inbound marketing strategy. Drag and drop building blocks including testimonials, forms, calls-to-action, and more. Learn More