Skin Cancer 101
Knowledge is Your Best Defense
What Is Skin Cancer?
Skin cancer is the out-of-control growth of abnormal cells in the epidermis, the outermost skin layer, caused by unrepaired DNA damage that triggers mutations. These mutations lead the skin cells to multiply rapidly and form malignant tumors. The main types of skin cancer are basal cell carcinoma (BCC), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), and melanoma.
What Causes Cancers of the Skin?
The two main causes of skin cancer are the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays and using UV tanning beds. The good news is that if skin cancer is caught early, your dermatologist can treat it with little or no scarring and high odds of eliminating it entirely. Often, the doctor may even detect the growth at a precancerous stage, before it has become a fullblown skin cancer or penetrated below the surface of the skin.
Most common types of skin cancer:
- Basal cell carcinoma
- Squamous cell
- carcinoma Melanoma
Basal cell carcinoma
Where is it usually found?
These cancers most often develop on skin areas typically exposed to the sun, especially the face, ears, neck, scalp, shoulders and back.
What causes it?
Most BCCs are caused by the combination of intermittent, intense exposure and cumulative, long-term exposure to UV radiation from the sun.
How serious is it?
BCCs can be locally destructive if not detected and treated early.
Squamous cell carcinoma
Where is it usually found?
SCCs are common on sun-exposed areas such as the ears, face, scalp, neck and hands. These are places where the skin often reveals signs of sun damage, including wrinkles and age spots.
What causes it?
Cumulative, long-term exposure to UV radiation from the sun and tanning beds causes most SCCs.
How serious is it?
SCCs can sometimes grow rapidly and metastasize if not detected and treated early.
Melanoma
Where is it usually found?
Melanomas often resemble moles and sometimes may arise from them. They can appear on any area of the body, even in areas that are not typically exposed to the sun.
What causes it?
Melanoma is often triggered by the kind of intense, intermittent sun
exposure that leads to sunburn. Tanning bed use also increases risk for melanoma.
How serious is it?
Melanoma is the most dangerous of the three most common forms of
skin cancer. Melanomas can be curable when caught and treated early. In 2022, melanoma is projected to cause about 7,650 deaths.
