Beating melanoma is a big deal. There's nothing small about it. But for survivors living in South Florida, the story doesn't end at remission. The same environment that makes this place feel like paradise — the relentless sunshine, the outdoor lifestyle, the almost total absence of a season when you can reasonably stay indoors — also makes it one of the more challenging places in the country to stay ahead of recurrence.
That's not meant to scare you. It's just the honest truth, and if you've already been through melanoma treatment once, you deserve straight answers more than anyone.
Why Recurrence Risk Is Real — and Higher Here
Melanoma has one of the highest recurrence rates among skin cancers. Depending on the original stage, studies suggest that anywhere from 15% to over 50% of patients may experience some form of recurrence. That doesn't mean it will happen to you. But it does mean that watchful, consistent follow-up cancer care isn't optional — it's part of your ongoing treatment.
For South Florida residents, the math gets a little more complicated. UV exposure doesn't stop in October. Many people in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties are outdoors year-round — on boats, at the beach, on patios, jogging, gardening. As we've written before,
South Florida's boating and fishing culture alone puts skin at serious melanoma risk. And that UV exposure doesn't just affect the original site. It creates ongoing pressure on all your skin, including areas that may already have some genetic or cellular vulnerability.
What Melanoma Recurrence Actually Looks Like
One of the most important things survivors can do is know what to look for — because melanoma recurrence symptoms don't always look the way people expect.
Recurrence can happen in three different ways:
Local recurrence means the melanoma comes back near the original site. You might notice a new growth, thickening, or discoloration near the scar where your original melanoma was removed. Don't assume a change near an old surgical site is just scar tissue healing.
Regional recurrence means the melanoma has spread to nearby lymph nodes or the skin between the original site and those nodes. You might feel a lump under the arm, in the groin, or in the neck — depending on where the original melanoma was located. You might also notice new nodules appearing in a cluster near the original area.
Distant recurrence (metastatic) is the most serious form. Melanoma can spread to the lungs, liver, brain, or bones. Symptoms here can be easy to miss or attribute to something else: unexplained fatigue, persistent headaches, shortness of breath, unintentional weight loss, or bone pain that doesn't have an obvious cause.
If any of these sound like something you're experiencing, that's a conversation to have with your doctor — not something to wait out.
The South Florida Factor: Why You Can't Rely on Seasonal Breaks
In colder climates, patients naturally spend more time indoors during winter months, which reduces cumulative UV exposure between dermatology appointments. South Florida doesn't offer that buffer.
Year-round skin cancer screenings are essential here in a way that simply isn't true in most of the country.
Beyond sun exposure, there are lifestyle factors unique to this region that survivors should be aware of. Spray tans and self-tanners are common here, but they can mask changes in moles or new lesions —
something worth understanding if you use them regularly. Even small changes like a new bump or a slight color shift in your skin can be harder to catch when you're not looking with clear eyes.
How Often Should Melanoma Survivors Be Seen?
This depends on your original stage and your oncologist's or dermatologist's guidance. But as a general framework, most guidelines suggest:
- Years 1–2: Skin exams every 3 to 6 months
- Years 3–5: Skin exams every 6 months
- After year 5: Annual exams, at minimum
These aren't arbitrary checkboxes. They exist because earlier-stage recurrences are significantly more treatable than those caught later. A suspicious lymph node found at a 6-month visit is a very different situation from one discovered after two years of skipped appointments.
Your dermatologist should also be doing
full-body skin checks at each visit — not just looking at the original site. New primary melanomas can develop independently of the first one, and survivors have a statistically higher chance of developing additional melanomas compared to the general population.
Melanoma Recurrence Symptoms Worth Knowing by Heart
Here's a short list of what to bring to your dermatologist's attention between scheduled visits:
- Any new mole or growth that appears after your treatment
- Changes in color, size, shape, or texture near your original scar
- A lump under the skin, especially in the armpit, groin, or neck
- A lesion that bleeds, crusts, or doesn't heal within a few weeks
- Unexplained swelling anywhere on the body
- New skin lesions that look different from your other moles
- Persistent fatigue or weight loss without a clear cause
You know your skin. If something feels off, it's always worth a phone call. There's no such thing as a dumb question when it comes to melanoma history — and any dermatologist worth trusting will tell you the same thing.
What About New Skin Concerns That Aren't at the Old Site?
Survivors sometimes get tunnel vision, focusing entirely on the original melanoma site while letting other parts of their skin go unchecked. That's understandable, but it's a gap worth addressing.
For example, if you have a history of melanoma, you may also want to stay current on
actinic keratoses — precancerous lesions that are extremely common in South Florida and can progress if left untreated. Ears and the neck are among the most sun-damaged areas on the body and often go unexamined;
that's a risk survivors especially can't afford to ignore.
What a Follow-Up Visit at Dermatology Experts Looks Like
Dr. Angelo Ayar and the team at Dermatology Experts take melanoma follow-up seriously — and they do it without making patients feel like they're on a conveyor belt. A follow-up visit means a real, thorough full-body skin exam, not a quick glance. If something looks unusual, the conversation happens right there, in plain language, with options explained clearly.
The practice has offices in Miami, Parkland, and Tamarac, making it easy to stay consistent with care no matter which part of South Florida you're in. And for patients who've already been through a melanoma diagnosis, consistency with a
trusted local dermatologist is one of the most protective things you can do for yourself going forward.
If it's been a while since your last skin check — or if you've noticed something that's been sitting in the back of your mind — this is the nudge to call. Melanoma survivors have already shown they're fighters. The goal now is to make sure you stay ahead of anything that tries to come back.
