Skin Cancer

Skin cancer includes basal cell skin cancer, squamous cell skin cancers and other rare types. These skin cancers are known as non melanoma skin cancer.

There are 2 main types of skin cancer: Non melanoma skin cancer and melanoma skin cancer. This section is about non melanoma skin cancer. 

Melanoma is a different type of skin cancer that develops from skin cells called melanocytes.

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), melanomaand Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC).

Read on to find out what can cause skin cancer.

What Does Skin Cancer Look Like?

Skin cancers can look quite different from one person to another due to skin tone, size and type of skin cancer and location on the body. See our Skin Cancer Pictures page for a selection of photos to help you understand what skin cancers can look like. View pictures.

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 full-blown skin cancer or penetrated below the surface of the skin.