Q. What are the different types of skin cancer?
Doctor Answer is medically reviewed by SecondMedic medical review team.
Skin cancer is the most commonly diagnosed type of cancer in the United States. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, there are three primary types of skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma (BCC), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and melanoma.
Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC): BCC is a slow-growing form of skin cancer that originates from the basal cells located in the deepest epidermal layer. It may appear as a small pink growth, or as fleshy bumps on sun-exposed areas such as face, neck, ears and hands. Early detection is important and it can usually be cured with surgery or other treatments such as cryotherapy or topical chemotherapy drugs.
Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC): SCC begins when abnormal cells within a layer of flat squamous cells start to reproduce rapidly and outgrow normal cells around them. They are often red and scaly patches, which may become open sores over time if not treated properly; they typically affect sun exposed areas such as arms, legs and face. Like BCCs, regular screenings can help detect SCC early before it spreads further into tissue layers. Treatment for this type of skin cancer includes radiation therapy and topical medications applied to affected area directly.
Melanoma: Melanomas are less common but potentially more dangerous than either BCCs or SSCs because they originate from pigment producing cells known as melanocytes located deep in the epidermis and capable of spreading quickly through connective tissues throughout organs in body if left untreated for too long . It frequently appears like an asymmetrical dark spot with jagged edges but any change in existing freckles/moles should be checked by dermatologist regularly since early discovery could save life by allowing dermatologists to surgically remove tumors while still localized within a single organ system instead of having spread allover body tissue layers beyond point where curative surgeries cannot take place anymore effectively resulting higher mortality rate due to treatment being unable perform its intended function at point if too late involved..