Skin cancer is the growth of abnormal skin cells. These cancer cells grow out of control and damage nearby healthy tissue. Some types of skin cancer can also spread to other parts of the body. There are different types of skin cancer, the three most common kinds are:

  • Basal cell carcinoma—the most common form of cancer
  • Squamous cell carcinoma
  • Melanoma
  • Early detection of skin cancer significantly lowers morbidity and mortality. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, contact your family doctor or a dermatologist:
  • A sore that doesn’t heal within one month
  • Abnormal mole
  • Any changing lesion of the skin, including changes in size, color, shape, or sensation (bleeding, itching, tenderness, pain)
  • Any lesion that appears different than the rest of your background skin
  • Scaliness, roughness, oozing, bleeding, or a change in the way an area of skin looks