Skin Cancer - What is it?

Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States. In fact, more skin cancers are diagnosed in the US each year than all other cancers combined. [1] For the last three decades, melanoma and skin-related disorders are growing at a fast rate and are regarded as a modern day epidemic outbreak: More than one out of three new cancers is a skin cancer, and about 2.5% of the population will be diagnosed with a melanoma of the skin, and these rates are constantly rising. [1,3]

Skin cancers are developed due to skin cells that lose their growth control therefore their development is abnormal. These cells have the ability to spread or penetrate to other tissues and parts of the body. [4] There are 3 mail types of skin cancer:

• Basal cell carcinoma- This the most common type of skin cancer (~80%). People who have had basal cell skin cancers are also more likely to get new ones in other places. [1]

• Squamous cell carcinoma (~20%). Squamous cell cancers are more likely to grow into deeper layers of skin and spread to other parts of the body than basal cell cancers, although this is still uncommon. [1]

• Melanoma- melanoma is much less common than basal and squamous cell cancers, but is much more lethal and is more likely to grow and spread if left untreated. [2]

basal cell skin cancer (BCC) and squamous cell skin cancer (SCC) are also known as Non-melanoma skin cancer (there are more types of skin cancer that are less common and they are part of this group too). [4][5]

1. Rogers HW, Weinstock MA, Feldman SR, Coldiron BM. Incidence estimate of nonmelanoma skin cancer (keratinocyte carcinomas) in the US population, 2012. JAMA Dermatol 2015; 151(10):1081-1086.

2. Cancer Facts and Figures 2017. American Cancer Society. http://www.cancer.org/acs/groups/content/@editorial/documents/document/acspc-048738.pdf.

3. Stern, RS. Prevalence of a history of skin cancer in 2007: results of an incidence-based model. Arch Dermatol 2010; 146(3):279-282.

4. Burlingame Cancer Research http://bcancerresearch.org/skin-cancer/

5. National Cancer Institute https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms?cdrid=630772

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