Skin Cancer
(Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer)

Medical Author: Alan Rockoff, MD
Medical Editor: William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

• Introduction
• Basal cell carcinoma
• What is basal cell carcinoma?
• What are risk factors for developing basal cell carcinoma?
• What does basal cell carcinoma look like?
• How is basal cell carcinoma diagnosed?
• How is basal cell carcinoma treated?
• How is basal cell carcinoma prevented?
• Squamous cell carcinoma
• What is actinic keratosis?
• What is squamous cell carcinoma?
• What are risk factors for developing squamous cell carcinoma?
• Can squamous cell carcinoma of the skin spread (metastasize)?
• How is squamous cell carcinoma diagnosed?
• How is squamous cell carcinoma treated?
• How is squamous cell carcinoma prevented?
• What about follow-up care for skin cancer?
• How about vitamin D and cancer?
• What resources are available to patients with skin cancer?
• Skin Cancer At A Glance
• Related skin cancer articles on WebMD:
  Types of skin cancer
  Signs of skin cancer
  Skin cancer symptoms

Skin Cancer Rate Increasing Medical Author: William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR The two most common kinds of skin cancer are basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. (Carcinoma is cancer that begins in the cells that cover or line an organ.) Basal cell carcinoma accounts for more than 90% of all skin cancers in the United States. It is a slow-growing cancer that seldom spreads to other parts of the body. Squamous cell carcinoma also rarely spreads, but it does so more often than basal cell carcinoma. However, it is important that skin cancers are found and treated early because they can invade and destroy nearby tissue. Basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma are sometimes called non-melanoma skin cancer. Another type of cancer that occurs in the skin is melanoma, which begins in the melanocytes. There is popular concern that the rates of both nonmelanoma and melanoma skin cancers are more frequent in recent decades than in the past. Research published in Archives of Dermatology (1997;133:735-740) demonstrates a clear increase in squamous cell skin cancers. Learn prevention tactics to ward off skin cancer » Top Searched Skin Cancer Terms: causes, treatment, facts, prevention, sunscreen

Introduction

Skin cancer is the most common form of human cancer. It is estimated that over 1 million new cases occur annually. The annual rates of all forms of skin cancer are increasing each year, representing a growing public concern. It has also been estimated that nearly half of all Americans who live to age 65 will develop skin cancer at least once.

The most common warning sign of skin cancer is a change in the appearance of the skin, such as a new growth or a sore that will not heal.

The term "skin cancer" refers to three different conditions. From the least to the most dangerous, they are:

• basal cell carcinoma (or basal cell carcinoma epithelioma)



• squamous cell carcinoma (the first stage of which is called actinic keratosis)



• melanoma

The two most common forms of skin cancer are basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. Together, these two are also referred to as nonmelanoma skin cancer. Melanoma is generally the most serious form of skin cancer because it tends to spread (metastasize) throughout the body quickly. Skin cancer is also known as skin neoplasia.

This article will discuss the two kinds of nonmelanoma skin cancer.

From the Doctors at MedicineNet.com

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