Does all melanoma require lymph node biopsy and drug treatment?

Yes: The lymph node biopsy is needed to make sure the cancer cells have been removed and/or contained. The drug treatment is to make sure your health improves. It will make you feel tired but it needs to compete with the growth of cancer cells or prevent its reappearance.

No: It depends on the depth of melanoma seen under microscope and clinical findings. Superficial melanomas do not require any other treatment besides complete surgical excision.

Depends: Different countries handle the drug treatment after melanoma diagnosis differently. Not everyone agrees it is worth spending a considerable amount of money and making people very sick for a year for perhaps a 3% improved chance for cure. You do well to discuss the actual risk/benefit ratio with your physician as it applies to your situation. Good luck.

Only if it's deep: Melanoma is treated with surgery. The initial biopsy will determine its depth and it can be staged. If it is deeper than clark level i it may require lymph node biopsy or more treatment like chemo or lymph node dissection.

Nope: Only melanomas that are thicker than 1mm or with worrisome features require a lymph node biopsy. Drug therapy is reserved for patients with metastatic melanoma.