The 3 Types of Skin Cancer Basal,Squamous and Malignant Melanoma Skin Cancer
The different 3 types of skin cancer are basal, squamous and malignant melanoma. About 80% of these skin cancers are basal cell carcinoma, 16% are squamous cell carcinoma, and 4% are melanoma.
Of the three types, the basal and squamous cell dermis cancer are also known as non-melanomas. They are the most common and most easy to treat abnormal skin growths. In fact, majority of the diagnosed cases are non-melanomas.
This is how the non-melanoma types look like:
photo by NCI
What are the different skin cancers?
Basal Cell Carcinoma
This is the most common among the 3 types of skin cancer which accounts for more than 90% of cases in the U.S. It starts in the cells of the epidermis - the top layer - where it grows slowly and doesn't show any early signs or symptoms.
It can take months and sometimes years to be visible. It almost never spreads to the rest of your body so it doesn't kill but it can disfigure your eyes, nose or ears if left untreated.
The face is the usual location for basal cell lesions and may also appear in the scalp, nape and neck.
Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Among the three types of epidermis cancers, this is the second most common type that normally appears after the age of 50. It occurs more frequently in men.
Compared to basal cell, squamous cell cancer spreads faster and can spread to other locations including your internal organs. But it is still relatively slow-growing compared to melanoma.
Anyone who was diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma is more likely to get squamous cell carcinoma in the future. Thus, prevention is very important.
This is the most dangerous and the most serious form among the different types of dermis cancers. It can cause serious illness and even death. It can advance and spread fast throughout the body making it hard to treat and eventually, fatal.
The tumor grows in the melanocytes which produce the pigment called melanin. It is the least common but causes the most deaths among the 3 different types of skin cancer.
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