Skin Cancer (original) (raw)

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Basics

• Summary
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• Diagnosis and Tests
• Prevention and Risk Factors
• Treatments and Therapies

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Summary

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. The two most common types are basal cell cancer and squamous cell cancer. They usually form on the head, face, neck, hands, and arms. Another type of skin cancer, melanoma, is more dangerous but less common.

Anyone can get skin cancer, but it is more common in people who :

• Spend a lot of time in the sun or have been sunburned
• Have light-colored skin, hair and eyes
• Have a family member with skin cancer
• Are over age 50

You should have your doctor check any suspicious skin markings and any changes in the way your skin looks. Treatment is more likely to work well when cancer is found early. If not treated, some types of skin cancer cells can spread to other tissues and organs. Treatments include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, photodynamic therapy (PDT), and biologic therapy. PDT uses a drug and a type of laser light to kill cancer cells. Biologic therapy boosts your body's own ability to fight cancer.

NIH: National Cancer Institute

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• General Information about Skin Cancer (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish

• Skin Cancer (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish

• Dictionary of Cancer Terms (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish

• Basal cell skin cancer (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

• Mohs micrographic surgery (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

• Skin lesion biopsy (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

• Skin self-exam (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

• Squamous cell skin cancer (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish