Skin Cancer

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

Start Here

General Information about Skin Cancer (National Cancer Institute)Also in Spanish
Skin Cancer (American Academy of Family Physicians)Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

Skin Biopsy (VisualDX)
Skin Cancer Screening (National Library of Medicine)Also in Spanish
Skin Cancer Screening (National Cancer Institute)Also in Spanish
Stages of Merkel Cell Carcinoma (National Cancer Institute)Also in Spanish
Stages of Skin Cancer (National Cancer Institute)Also in Spanish
Tests for Basal and Squamous Cell Skin Cancers (American Cancer Society)Also in Spanish

Prevention and Risk Factors

Reducing Risk for Skin Cancer (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)Also in Spanish
Skin Cancer Prevention (National Cancer Institute)Also in Spanish
Skin Cancer: Everyone’s at Risk (American Academy of Dermatology)
Take Steps to Prevent Skin Cancer (Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion)Also in Spanish

Treatments and Therapies

Cryosurgery to Treat Cancer (National Cancer Institute)Also in Spanish
Drugs Approved for Skin Cancer (National Cancer Institute)
Electrodesiccation (VisualDX)
Mohs Micrographic Surgery (VisualDX)
Skin Cancer: Treatment Types (American Society for Radiation Oncology)
Treatment of Actinic Keratosis (National Cancer Institute)Also in Spanish
Treatment Option Overview (Merkel Cell Carcinoma) (National Cancer Institute)Also in Spanish
Treatment Option Overview (Skin Cancer) (National Cancer Institute)

Living With

Living as a Basal or Squamous Cell Skin Cancer Survivor (American Cancer Society)Also in Spanish

Related Issues

Actinic Cheilitis (VisualDX)
Actinic Keratosis (Solar Keratosis) (VisualDX)
Risks of Skin Cancer Screening (National Cancer Institute)Also in Spanish
Skin Cancer in People with Darker Skin (National Cancer Institute) – PDFAlso in Spanish
Sunscreen: How to Help Protect Your Skin from the Sun (Food and Drug Administration)

Specifics

General Information about Merkel Cell Carcinoma (National Cancer Institute)Also in Spanish
Sebaceous Carcinoma: Overview (American Academy of Dermatology)

Genetics

9q22.3 microdeletion: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
About Skin Cancer (National Human Genome Research Institute)
Gorlin syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
Xeroderma pigmentosum: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)

Images

Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) (VisualDX)

Health Check Tools

“Suntelligence” Survey (American Academy of Dermatology)

Statistics and Research

Advances in Melanoma and Other Skin Cancers Research (National Cancer Institute)
Melanoma of the Skin Statistics (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)Also in Spanish
Skin Cancer (American Academy of Dermatology)
What’s New in Basal and Squamous Cell Skin Cancer Research? (American Cancer Society)Also in Spanish

Clinical Trials

ClinicalTrials.gov: Carcinoma, Basal Cell (National Institutes of Health)
ClinicalTrials.gov: Carcinoma, Merkel Cell (National Institutes of Health)
ClinicalTrials.gov: Keratosis, Actinic (National Institutes of Health)
ClinicalTrials.gov: Skin Neoplasms (National Institutes of Health)

Journal ArticlesReferences and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

Reference Desk

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

Find an Expert

American Academy of Dermatology
American Cancer Society
Cancer Support Groups (National Cancer Institute)Also in Spanish
Choosing a Cancer Doctor (American Cancer Society)Also in Spanish
Find a Dermatologic Surgeon (American Society for Dermatologic Surgery)
Find a Dermatologist (American Academy of Dermatology)
National Cancer Institute Also in Spanish

Children

Childhood Basal Cell Carcinoma and Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Skin Treatment (National Cancer Institute)Also in Spanish
Childhood Melanoma Treatment (National Cancer Institute)Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

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

Topic Image

MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA

National Institutes of Health

The primary NIH organization for research on Skin Cancer is the National Cancer Institute

Other Languages

Find health information in languages other than English on Skin Cancer

NIH MedlinePlus Magazine

Disclaimers

MedlinePlus links to health information from the National Institutes of Health and other federal government agencies. MedlinePlus also links to health information from non-government Web sites. See our disclaimer about external links and our quality guidelines.

The information on this site should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice. Contact a health care provider if you have questions about your health.