The two most common kinds of skin cancer
- 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.
Basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma are sometimes called nonmelanoma skin cancer. Another type of cancer that occurs in the skin is melanoma, which begins in the cells that produce pigment in the skin. Melanoma usually begins in a mole.
Skin Cancer Symptoms
Follow the ABCDEs for early skin cancer detection during your monthly skin exams:
- Asymmetry of lesion
- Border irregularity
- Color variegation
- Diameter greater than 6 millimeters
- Elevation: is the lesion growing in height?
