Skin Cancer
Description of Skin Cancer:
Skin cancer is a malignant growth on the skin which can have many causes. The
most common skin cancers are basal cell cancer, squamous cell cancer, and
melanoma. Skin cancer generally develops in the epidermis (the outermost layer
of skin), so a tumor is usually clearly visible. This makes most skin cancers
detectable in the early stages. There are three common types of skin cancer,
each of which is named after the type of skin cell from which it arises. Unlike
many other cancers, including those originating in the lung, pancreas, and
stomach, only a small minority of those afflicted will actually die of the
disease. Skin cancer represents the most commonly diagnosed malignancy,
surpassing lung, breast, colorectal and prostate cancer. Melanoma is one of the
most common skin cancers and it is potentially the most serious: there are over
8,000 new cases each year in the UK and 1,800 deaths. More people now die of
Melanoma in the UK than in Australia. It is the second most common cancer in the
young population (20 – 39 age group). It is estimated that approximately 85% of
cases are caused by too much sun. Non-melanoma skin cancers are the most common
skin cancers. The majority of these are called Basal Cell Carcinomas. These are
usually localised growths caused by excessive cumulative exposure to the sun and
do not tend to spread.
Specific Skin Cancer Information
Articles, questions and answers.
