Which statement about melanoma spread is correct?

Which statement about melanoma spread is correct?

• A. Spreads through the lymphatic system and invades other distant skin surfaces and organs
• B. Spreads by invading blood vessels and organs only
• C. Is confined to the skin and cannot spread
• D. Spreads only by direct local invasion around the lesion

Answer: (A)

Melanoma has the ability to spread beyond the original tumor through two main routes: the lymphatic system and the bloodstream. It commonly spreads to regional lymph nodes first and can then disseminate to distant sites, including other skin areas and various organs such as the lungs, liver, and brain. This pattern—lymphatic spread with potential distant metastases—best describes how melanoma behaves. The other statements are incomplete or incorrect because they either omit lymphatic spread, suggest confinement to the skin, or limit spread to only local invasion around the lesion, none of which capture the real metastatic potential of melanoma.

Melanoma has the ability to spread beyond the original tumor through two main routes: the lymphatic system and the bloodstream. It commonly spreads to regional lymph nodes first and can then disseminate to distant sites, including other skin areas and various organs such as the lungs, liver, and brain. This pattern—lymphatic spread with potential distant metastases—best describes how melanoma behaves.

The other statements are incomplete or incorrect because they either omit lymphatic spread, suggest confinement to the skin, or limit spread to only local invasion around the lesion, none of which capture the real metastatic potential of melanoma.