Mom Recent Diagnosis - Question

My mom was diagnosed last week with level 4 melanoma. (mole on back biopsied) We met with surgeon on Thursday who indicated the the cancer is 0.9mm thick and therefore he feels only 5-7% chance of spread to lymph nodes. I am both optomistic but confused bc even though thin, the cancer has still spread through 4th layer of skin. I should have asked the Dr to clarify but didnt all sink in until long after our visit. Can anyone offer insight, does this make sense? Thanks so much...

Your mom has a Clarks level 4 melanoma, which means the tumor is < 1 mm with ulceration but has not spread to lymph nodes or distant sites. This is a localized tumor and should have a high cure rate after removal. Level 4 does not mean it has spread through 4 layers of skin. It refers to a staging system called Clarks.

My husband had a spot removed from his back that was .4mm and was told that it was completely removed because it was not deep--I believe they called it in situ. I wish the doctor had done a CT scan or PET scan every 6 months because 2 1/2 years later he was diagnosed with stage 4 Metastic Melanoma. Tumors were in the spleen, liver, lungs and lymph nodes.
It taught me that at sometime in the future, melanoma can go internal--6 months or 6 years,etc.

Im so confused...so, what exactly does stage iv melanoma mean to those of us who have been diagnosed? Mine did spread to the lymph nodes-some were found positive, some negative; I'm scared...I keep reading that once it has spread...it could be deadly. Is this true? Should I be concerned? Could it have traveled elsewhere? and if so, how will I know? I"m going to see an oncologist next week...what should I be prepared to hear and question? any help, please, or stories of similiar situations and outcomes, would be greatly appreciated. thanks.

I do not want to scare you, but I can only tell you my husband's experience. He had a mole removed from his back in 2002. It was .4mm and the oncologist indicated that it was not deep. He told him that he should see his dermatologist regularly (every 4 months). He did that for 3 years. Then he developed a cough and had a CT scan for the 1st time in over 2 years (sent by his regular MD because thought he had bronchitis}. He was diagnosed with stage 4 metastic melanoma-----had spread to lymph nodes nearest the original mole, and then to lungs, liver, and spleen. He lived only 3 months.
The only thing that keeps coming to my mind is, if only the dermatologist had sent him for regular CT scans (every 6 months or so), it would have been caught at an early enough stage to do something for it. As it happened, it was too late to do anything. Just told to go home and put his affairs in order---that he would not live till Christmas. He died in November. I hope this helps anyone who is wondering if the doctor is doing enough.