For most people, life should be back to normal shortly after treatment is completed. You will have the continuing support of your multidisciplinary cancer team.

Some treatments will leave your skin more sensitive to the sun than it was before, so it is import that you protect yourself from the sun.

Regular self-examination
Anyone who has had melanoma is at an increased risk of getting it again. This is called recurrent melanoma. You will need to get into the habit of checking yourself regularly for suspicious signs.

Your doctor or specialist nurse will show you how to examine your skin for any lumps or swellings, especially around the area of the operation and the nearby lymph glands. You will also be shown how to check for changes in the size, colour or shape of existing moles or birthmarks.

Tell your specialist nurse or the skin department that treated you if you find changes, or a new mole appears. If the melanoma returns, it will probably be within the first two years after treatment, but it can be many years later. You should continue to check your skin three or four times a year as a matter of routine.

Follow-up visits
Follow-up visits to your local specialist clinic will be arranged.

These check-ups will be arranged for three to four times in the first year, and will continue, with decreasing frequency, for between three to five years following your operation. If you have had an uncomplicated small melanoma removed, your GP may provide your follow-up. At the appointments you will be examined to check for new or returning melanoma, and information can be exchanged.