About & Safety

An education and decision-support platform built from a curated, evidence-graded melanoma research corpus — 452 sources, 50 deep-dives.
What this is
An education and decision-support platform explaining the evidence in plain language and linking to original sources. It covers melanoma biology, risk factors, staging, treatment options, and self-care strategies.
452 graded sources and 50 topic deep-dives continuously maintained from the research corpus.
What this is NOT
  • Does not give individualised medical advice or a personal risk score.
When to seek care
Any new, changing, or non-healing pigmented lesion — or the “ugly duckling” that looks different from your other moles — warrants prompt review by a clinician. If you have a melanoma diagnosis, follow your specialist team’s plan; use this site to understand, not to decide alone.
Patient resources
Trusted external resources for melanoma patients and carers. These organisations provide information, support and access to clinical trials — they are independent of this site.
  • Melanoma Focus UK — the UK melanoma patient charity with clinical guidance and a trial listing: melanomafocus.com
  • Cancer Research UK — melanoma overview, staging, treatment and support: cancerresearchuk.org
  • NHS — Melanoma skin cancer — treatment pathways, what to expect and where to get help: nhs.uk
  • Macmillan Cancer Support — practical and emotional support for people with melanoma: macmillan.org.uk
  • ClinicalTrials.gov — Melanoma trials — search actively-recruiting melanoma studies worldwide: clinicaltrials.gov (melanoma, recruiting)
  • NIHR Be Part of Research — find UK clinical trials open to patients: bepartofresearch.nihr.ac.uk
💡 Ask your oncologist whether there is an open clinical trial at your centre before starting standard therapy. See also our clinical trial finder page.
Getting specialist care
If you have been diagnosed with melanoma — or have a suspicious lesion — the most important step is to reach a melanoma specialist and, where possible, a multidisciplinary team (MDT). An MDT brings together surgeons, medical oncologists, radiologists, and pathologists to plan your care jointly.
In the UK — how to get referred
  • GP referral (2-week wait): Ask your GP to refer you urgently to a dermatologist or oncologist under the NICE suspected cancer: recognition and referral guideline (NG12). The ‘2-week wait’ pathway means you should be seen by a specialist within 2 weeks of referral for suspected melanoma.
  • Already under secondary care: Ask your dermatologist to refer you to a skin cancer MDT or a cancer centre with a dedicated melanoma team.
  • Second opinion: You are entitled to ask for a second opinion. Melanoma Focus UK can help you find centres with specific expertise — see melanomafocus.com.
  • Private patients: A private dermatologist or oncologist can coordinate care alongside your NHS team.
Outside the UK
Contact your national cancer society for specialist referral guidance: for the US, cancer.org (American Cancer Society); for Australia, cancer.org.au (Cancer Council Australia). For global melanoma specialist centres, the Melanoma Focus network can also advise.