New Zealand Melanoma Clinical Guidelines
Guideline review in progress
The Aotearoa New Zealand Melanoma Clinical Guidelines are currently under review by the National Melanoma Working Group following sector consultation.
To support clinicians in the meantime, an updated draft has been made available. The guidelines are now undergoing international peer review, with the 4th edition scheduled to be released in conjunction with the New Zealand Skin Cancer Summit in June.
About the New Zealand Melanoma Clinical Guidelines
The New Zealand Melanoma Clinical Guidelines define what quality care for melanoma should look like in New Zealand.
Grounded in the latest international evidence and best practice, the guidelines aim to:
- Guide clinical decision-making
- Promote consistent, high-quality care
- Reduce variation in diagnosis and treatment across the country
- Improve outcomes for people with melanoma and their families
- Inform efforts to reduce melanoma incidence
These guidelines have been developed by the National Melanoma Working Group (NMWG) and Skin Cancer New Zealand in partnership with a wide range of sector experts and stakeholders.
Te Aho o Te Kahu – Cancer Control Agency supports the use of these statements as a tool to guide clinical decision-making and promote best practice melanoma management in New Zealand.
History of the Guidelines
The New Zealand Melanoma Clinical Guidelines evolved from the Standards of Service Provision for Melanoma Patients in New Zealand – Provisional, originally drafted in 2013 by the National Melanoma Tumour Standards Working Group for the Ministry of Health.
Key milestones:
- November 2021 – First edition soft launched to the Skin Cancer New Zealand (formerly MelNet) website.
- February 2022 – First edition formally launched at the 2022 (virtual) New Zealand Melanoma Summit.
- September 2022 - Second edition published
- September 2023 - Third edition published
- October 2025 - Name changed from Quality Statements to Guide Melanoma Diagnosis and Treatment in New Zealand to support easier online searching and implementation
Major updates to clinical content are outlined in Appendix 8 of the document.
Proudly endorsed by
Want to get involved?
We encourage health professionals interested in contributing to future guideline reviews
with the National Melanoma Working Group to get in touch.