{"id":10059,"date":"2023-06-22T13:06:29","date_gmt":"2023-06-22T12:06:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ilmelanoma.com\/melanoma\/common-types-of-melanoma\/nodular-malignant-melanoma\/"},"modified":"2026-10-16T13:53:48","modified_gmt":"2026-10-16T12:53:48","slug":"nodular-malignant-melanoma","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.ilmelanoma.com\/en\/melanoma\/common-types-of-melanoma\/nodular-malignant-melanoma\/","title":{"rendered":"Nodular malignant melanoma"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"im26-diagnosis-guide\">\n<nav class=\"im26-dg-toc\" aria-label=\"On this page\"><strong>On this page<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"#mt-definizione\">What it is and why prompt assessment matters<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#mt-aspetto\">Pigmented or amelanotic nodule<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#mt-segnali\">ABCDE and EFG: complementary reminders<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#mt-diagnosi\">Diagnosis and look-alike lesions<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#mt-cure\">Treatment, prognosis and surveillance<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/nav>\n<section id=\"mt-definizione\" class=\"im26-dg-section\">\n<h2>What it is and why prompt assessment matters<\/h2>\n<p>Nodular melanoma is an invasive melanoma characterised by relatively early growth into deeper skin. It is less frequent than <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ilmelanoma.com\/en\/melanoma\/common-types-of-melanoma\/superficial-spreading-malignant-melanoma\/\">superficial spreading melanoma<\/a>. Estimates vary between populations and clinical series, so no single percentage describes every setting.<\/p>\n<p>Rapid growth can lead to substantial thickness by diagnosis. This explains part of its clinical importance, but does not mean every nodular melanoma has already metastasised. Thickness, ulceration and spread to lymph nodes or other organs need individual assessment.<\/p>\n<p>A pre-existing mole does not have to change: the tumour can appear as a new growth. A growing nodule warrants prompt assessment even when small, regular or painless.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"mt-aspetto\" class=\"im26-dg-section\">\n<h2>Pigmented or amelanotic nodule<\/h2>\n<p>It may appear as a dome-shaped nodule or polypoid lesion, coloured black, blue or brown. Edges can be relatively regular and colour uniform; neither feature alone guarantees benignity.<\/p>\n<p>Some lesions are pink, red or skin-coloured because they contain little visible pigment. This is an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ilmelanoma.com\/en\/melanoma\/common-types-of-melanoma\/amelanotic-melanoma\/\">amelanotic melanoma<\/a> presentation and may resemble a vascular or inflammatory lesion. Crusting, ulceration or bleeding can develop, but early lesions may have an intact surface and no symptoms.<\/p>\n<p>Change from the original appearance matters. Recording when the bump appeared and how quickly it grew helps the clinician. An earlier photograph may be useful but should not delay assessment.<\/p>\n<div class=\"im26-dg-gallery\">\n<figure><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ilmelanoma.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/melanoma-maligno-nodulare.jpg\" aria-label=\"Open original image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ilmelanoma.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/melanoma-maligno-nodulare.jpg\" width=\"760\" height=\"535\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Nodular melanoma: archived clinical image\"\/><\/a><figcaption>Image from the site archive: Nodular melanoma. This photograph illustrates a case and cannot be used for self-diagnosis.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"mt-segnali\" class=\"im26-dg-section\">\n<h2>ABCDE and EFG: complementary reminders<\/h2>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ilmelanoma.com\/en\/melanoma\/melanoma-diagnosis\/abcde-rule\/\">ABCDE rule<\/a> is useful, but some nodular melanomas lack typical asymmetry or varied colours. EFG is an additional reminder for nodules: Elevated, Firm and Growing.<\/p>\n<p>EFG is not a score that diagnoses cancer at home. Many benign growths are raised or firm. The combination of features and growth is what warrants attention. Do not wait for a lesion to reach 6 mm, bleed or become painful before requesting assessment.<\/p>\n<p>A suspicious change between scheduled visits warrants earlier contact. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ilmelanoma.com\/en\/melanoma\/melanoma-diagnosis\/autoesame-della-cute\/\">Skin self-examination<\/a> includes hard-to-see areas and more than familiar dark moles.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"mt-diagnosi\" class=\"im26-dg-section\">\n<h2>Diagnosis and look-alike lesions<\/h2>\n<p>Pigmented seborrhoeic keratosis, pigmented basal cell carcinoma, dermatofibroma and some vascular lesions can enter the differential diagnosis. External resemblance does not permit reliable distinction.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ilmelanoma.com\/en\/melanoma\/melanoma-diagnosis\/dermoscopy\/\">Dermoscopy<\/a> may show residual pigment, structureless areas or atypical vessels. Absence of a pigment network does not exclude melanocytic origin. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ilmelanoma.com\/en\/melanoma\/istopatologia-del-melanoma\/\">Histological examination<\/a> is required to confirm the diagnosis and measure depth.<\/p>\n<p>Complete excisional biopsy is performed where feasible. The report and clinical assessment guide subsequent investigations, including possible sentinel lymph node biopsy and imaging. A rapidly growing lesion should not simply be watched for a prolonged period without a specialist decision.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"mt-cure\" class=\"im26-dg-section\">\n<h2>Treatment, prognosis and surveillance<\/h2>\n<p>Localised disease is treated surgically. Excision margins and other steps depend on the report and stage. Higher-risk or advanced disease may require immunotherapy or targeted treatment if molecular requirements are met. Radiotherapy and chemotherapy have selected roles.<\/p>\n<p>The course cannot be predicted from the word \u201cnodular\u201d alone. Prompt diagnosis may allow treatment before spread, while greater thickness or metastases change the pathway. General statistics from different populations should not be applied directly to an individual.<\/p>\n<p>After treatment, ask for a written follow-up plan and guidance on changes to report. The treatment and diagnosis guides can help prepare a discussion with the team. Surveillance includes the treated site and the whole skin because a separate new primary melanoma can also develop.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<aside class=\"im26-dg-related\">\n<h2>Continue reading<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ilmelanoma.com\/en\/melanoma\/common-types-of-melanoma\/\">All melanoma types<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ilmelanoma.com\/en\/melanoma\/common-types-of-melanoma\/amelanotic-melanoma\/\">Amelanotic melanoma<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ilmelanoma.com\/en\/guides\/diagnosis\/\">The diagnosis pathway<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ilmelanoma.com\/en\/guides\/treatment\/\">Understanding treatment<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/aside>\n<section class=\"im26-dg-sources\">\n<h2>Sources and update<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cancer.gov\/types\/skin\/hp\/melanoma-treatment-pdq\">National Cancer Institute \u2014 Melanoma Treatment (PDQ)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/39550033\/\">ESMO \u2014 Cutaneous melanoma: Clinical Practice Guideline (2025)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/dermnetnz.org\/topics\/nodular-melanoma\">DermNet \u2014 Nodular melanoma<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Editorial revision: 16 October 2026. This information does not replace medical assessment.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Nodular melanoma can grow rapidly and may lack dark pigment. Features to notice, diagnosis, staging and treatment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":9335,"parent":10053,"menu_order":2,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-10059","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Nodular malignant melanoma - Il Melanoma<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Nodular malignant melanoma (MMN) is a particularly aggressive subtype of melanoma, a type of cancer that originates in melanocytes, the cells responsible for producing melanin.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ilmelanoma.com\/en\/melanoma\/common-types-of-melanoma\/nodular-malignant-melanoma\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Nodular malignant melanoma - Il Melanoma\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Nodular malignant melanoma (MMN) is a particularly aggressive subtype of melanoma, a type of cancer that originates in melanocytes, the cells responsible for producing melanin.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ilmelanoma.com\/en\/melanoma\/common-types-of-melanoma\/nodular-malignant-melanoma\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Il Melanoma\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-10-16T12:53:48+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ilmelanoma.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/melanoma-maligno-nodulare.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ilmelanoma.com\\\/en\\\/melanoma\\\/common-types-of-melanoma\\\/nodular-malignant-melanoma\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ilmelanoma.com\\\/en\\\/melanoma\\\/common-types-of-melanoma\\\/nodular-malignant-melanoma\\\/\",\"name\":\"Nodular malignant melanoma - Il Melanoma\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ilmelanoma.com\\\/en\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ilmelanoma.com\\\/en\\\/melanoma\\\/common-types-of-melanoma\\\/nodular-malignant-melanoma\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ilmelanoma.com\\\/en\\\/melanoma\\\/common-types-of-melanoma\\\/nodular-malignant-melanoma\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ilmelanoma.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2011\\\/01\\\/DSCN6868.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-06-22T12:06:29+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-10-16T12:53:48+00:00\",\"description\":\"Nodular malignant melanoma (MMN) is a particularly aggressive subtype of melanoma, a type of cancer that originates in melanocytes, the cells responsible for producing melanin.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ilmelanoma.com\\\/en\\\/melanoma\\\/common-types-of-melanoma\\\/nodular-malignant-melanoma\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ilmelanoma.com\\\/en\\\/melanoma\\\/common-types-of-melanoma\\\/nodular-malignant-melanoma\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ilmelanoma.com\\\/en\\\/melanoma\\\/common-types-of-melanoma\\\/nodular-malignant-melanoma\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ilmelanoma.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2011\\\/01\\\/DSCN6868.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ilmelanoma.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2011\\\/01\\\/DSCN6868.jpg\",\"width\":800,\"height\":600,\"caption\":\"Melanoma maligno nodulare\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ilmelanoma.com\\\/en\\\/melanoma\\\/common-types-of-melanoma\\\/nodular-malignant-melanoma\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Melanoma\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ilmelanoma.com\\\/en\\\/melanoma\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Common types of melanoma\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ilmelanoma.com\\\/en\\\/melanoma\\\/common-types-of-melanoma\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Nodular malignant melanoma\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ilmelanoma.com\\\/en\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ilmelanoma.com\\\/en\\\/\",\"name\":\"Il Melanoma\",\"description\":\"la guida alla conoscenza, prevenzione e cura del melanoma\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ilmelanoma.com\\\/en\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ilmelanoma.com\\\/en\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ilmelanoma.com\\\/en\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Il Melanoma\",\"alternateName\":\"ilmelanoma.com\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ilmelanoma.com\\\/en\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ilmelanoma.com\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ilmelanoma.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/06\\\/logo-melanoma-azzurro.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ilmelanoma.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/06\\\/logo-melanoma-azzurro.png\",\"width\":300,\"height\":29,\"caption\":\"Il Melanoma\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ilmelanoma.com\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Nodular malignant melanoma - Il Melanoma","description":"Nodular malignant melanoma (MMN) is a particularly aggressive subtype of melanoma, a type of cancer that originates in melanocytes, the cells responsible for producing melanin.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.ilmelanoma.com\/en\/melanoma\/common-types-of-melanoma\/nodular-malignant-melanoma\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Nodular malignant melanoma - Il Melanoma","og_description":"Nodular malignant melanoma (MMN) is a particularly aggressive subtype of melanoma, a type of cancer that originates in melanocytes, the cells responsible for producing melanin.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.ilmelanoma.com\/en\/melanoma\/common-types-of-melanoma\/nodular-malignant-melanoma\/","og_site_name":"Il Melanoma","article_modified_time":"2026-10-16T12:53:48+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.ilmelanoma.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/melanoma-maligno-nodulare.jpg","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.ilmelanoma.com\/en\/melanoma\/common-types-of-melanoma\/nodular-malignant-melanoma\/","url":"https:\/\/www.ilmelanoma.com\/en\/melanoma\/common-types-of-melanoma\/nodular-malignant-melanoma\/","name":"Nodular malignant melanoma - Il Melanoma","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ilmelanoma.com\/en\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ilmelanoma.com\/en\/melanoma\/common-types-of-melanoma\/nodular-malignant-melanoma\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ilmelanoma.com\/en\/melanoma\/common-types-of-melanoma\/nodular-malignant-melanoma\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.ilmelanoma.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/DSCN6868.jpg","datePublished":"2023-06-22T12:06:29+00:00","dateModified":"2026-10-16T12:53:48+00:00","description":"Nodular malignant melanoma (MMN) is a particularly aggressive subtype of melanoma, a type of cancer that originates in melanocytes, the cells responsible for producing melanin.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ilmelanoma.com\/en\/melanoma\/common-types-of-melanoma\/nodular-malignant-melanoma\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.ilmelanoma.com\/en\/melanoma\/common-types-of-melanoma\/nodular-malignant-melanoma\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.ilmelanoma.com\/en\/melanoma\/common-types-of-melanoma\/nodular-malignant-melanoma\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.ilmelanoma.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/DSCN6868.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.ilmelanoma.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/DSCN6868.jpg","width":800,"height":600,"caption":"Melanoma maligno nodulare"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.ilmelanoma.com\/en\/melanoma\/common-types-of-melanoma\/nodular-malignant-melanoma\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Melanoma","item":"https:\/\/www.ilmelanoma.com\/en\/melanoma\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Common types of melanoma","item":"https:\/\/www.ilmelanoma.com\/en\/melanoma\/common-types-of-melanoma\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Nodular malignant melanoma"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.ilmelanoma.com\/en\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.ilmelanoma.com\/en\/","name":"Il Melanoma","description":"la guida alla conoscenza, prevenzione e cura del melanoma","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ilmelanoma.com\/en\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.ilmelanoma.com\/en\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.ilmelanoma.com\/en\/#organization","name":"Il Melanoma","alternateName":"ilmelanoma.com","url":"https:\/\/www.ilmelanoma.com\/en\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.ilmelanoma.com\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.ilmelanoma.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/logo-melanoma-azzurro.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.ilmelanoma.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/logo-melanoma-azzurro.png","width":300,"height":29,"caption":"Il Melanoma"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ilmelanoma.com\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ilmelanoma.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10059","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ilmelanoma.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ilmelanoma.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ilmelanoma.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ilmelanoma.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10059"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.ilmelanoma.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10059\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11028,"href":"https:\/\/www.ilmelanoma.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10059\/revisions\/11028"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ilmelanoma.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10053"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ilmelanoma.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9335"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ilmelanoma.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10059"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}