As you have Googled, this is probably shocking to see how much difference is between stage zero and stage IV. I think the curves I’m showing you here at this moment show the difference in survival outlook for the different stages. What’s even more shocking is how similar stage zero and stage IV is. Look at those images here on the right side. A stage zero cancer has barely penetrated the surface, but it is very visible. But a stage IV cancer has just grown below the skin layer and touched the underlying tissue and vessels. It hasn’t even spread yet, and yet, with this kind of cancer, which can develop in less than a year, your survival chances would be south of 20 percent. Therefore, early detection is paramount to not dying from skin cancer.