Skin Cancer

Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the U.S. It occurs in more than a million people each year, including many older people. There are three main types of skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma. Of the three, melanoma is the most serious. Skin cancer occurs when abnormal cells form and multiply in an uncontrolled way in the epidermis, or abnormal cells from the epidermis invade the dermis of the skin. Basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma are skin cancers that are named for the epidermal cells from which they develop.

What is Skin Cancer?

Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer among light skinned individuals. It is the commonest cancer in the United States and in Australia. Each year, about one million people are diagnosed with this cancer. In 85 percent of these cases, the skin damage leading to the cancer occurs before an individual is 18.

Skin Cancer Classification

Skin Cancer Causes

Skin Cancer Diagnosis

Skin Cancer Prevention

Skin Cancer Management

Skin Cancer Pathology

Skin Cancer Symptoms

Hair Follicle Tumors

Rare Skin Cancers

Does Aspirin Increase Your Risk of Skin Cancer?

Latest Skin Cancer News and Research

Antibiotics may be the new weapon to fight against melanoma

Some antibiotics appear to be effective against a form of skin cancer known as melanoma. Researchers at KU Leuven, Belgium, examined the effect of these antibiotics on patient-derived tumours in mice. Their findings were published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine.

22 Jul 2021

Millions of COVID-19 cases went undetected in the first six months of the pandemic, finds study

A new report published in the journal Science Translational Medicine estimates that potentially 16.8 million Americans were infected but not officially diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 by July 2020. In addition, the results suggest there were nearly five undetected coronavirus cases for every diagnosed coronavirus infection in the first six months of the pandemic.

12 Jul 2021

Scientists discover potential marker for the success of immunotherapy in lung cancer patients

Lung cancer has the highest mortality rate of all cancers, and treatment options are extremely limited, especially for patients with oncogenic mutations in the KRAS gene.

8 Jul 2021

Skin pigmentation mechanism confers major protection against UV-related cancers

A skin pigmentation mechanism that can darken the color of human skin as a natural defense against ultraviolet (UV)-associated cancers has been discovered by scientists at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH).

7 Jul 2021

New sweat-proof “electronic skin” reliably monitors individual health even during perspiration

Engineers have developed a type of “electronic skin” that monitors a person's health without malfunctioning or peeling away, even when a wearer is perspiring.

30 Jun 2021

EORTC partners with Pierre Fabre to support patients with stage 2 melanoma

European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) and Pierre Fabre today announced a strategic partnership in support of patients with resected Stage 2 BRAF-mutant melanoma.

29 Jun 2021

Discovery provides new target to make melanomas more vulnerable to anti-cancer treatments

Hypoxia, or the inadequate oxygenation of a tissue, is a condition occurring frequently in all solid tumors such as melanoma skin cancer.

21 Jun 2021

Can a subscription model fix primary care in the US?

In April, San Francisco-based primary care company One Medical revealed an eye-popping compensation package for its chief executive and chairman, Amir Dan Rubin. His $199 million payday, particularly noteworthy at a company that has yet to turn a profit, made Rubin the second-highest-paid CEO in the United States last year — but only on paper.

10 Jun 2021

Researchers to develop new technology to detect and remove cancer tumors

New technology that will marry probes that can detect cancer tumors through the skin with high-precision robotic surgery is to be developed for use in hospital settings for the first time in a project led by the University of Warwick.

7 Jun 2021

New electromechanical device can help detect skin disorders non-invasively

By putting a piece of soft, strain-sensing sheet on the skin may be able to detect skin disorders non-invasively and in real-time very soon. A research team co-led by a scientist from City University of Hong Kong (CityU) has designed a simple electromechanical device that can be used for deep tissue pathology diagnosis, such as psoriasis, in an automated and non-invasive fashion.

29 May 2021

Researcher from Hollings Cancer Center wins Melanoma Research Alliance grant

MUSC Hollings Cancer Center researcher Haizhen (Jen) Wang, Ph.D., recently was awarded a three-year $225,000 Young Investigator grant from the Melanoma Research Alliance.

29 May 2021

Combination approach can improve the success rate of cancer treatment

A new cancer vaccine could boost the positive effects of existing immunotherapy drugs, improving the success rate of treatments from 20% to 75% of cases, according to a new study by immunologists from the University of Konstanz.

19 May 2021

Obesity-related cancer deaths are declining at a slower pace, shows study

Cancer death rates have fallen dramatically in the United States, but factor in obesity, as researchers did at the University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health, and the picture changes.

13 May 2021

Study describes differences between mutation profile of acral nevi and acral melanoma

Melanocytic nevi, or moles, are nonmalignant growths that arise from pigment producing cells of the skin.

12 May 2021

Researchers use 3-D bioprinting to create custom-shaped cartilage for use in surgical procedures

A team of University of Alberta researchers has discovered a way to use 3-D bioprinting technology to create custom-shaped cartilage for use in surgical procedures. The work aims to make it easier for surgeons to safely restore the features of skin cancer patients living with nasal cartilage defects after surgery.

5 May 2021

Disparities exist in colorectal cancer screenings, study finds

Patients with one or more health conditions are more likely to be screened for colorectal cancer than those without comorbidities, according to new research in the Journal of Osteopathic Medicine.

3 May 2021

Researchers address the importance of increasing efforts to limit indoor tanning among minors

There is substantial evidence that indoor tanning is associated with increased risk of skin cancer – the most common type of cancer nationwide according to the American Cancer Society. Public health officials and researchers have become increasingly concerned about the health risks posed by indoor tanning.

29 Apr 2021

FDA approves clinical trials to test the safety of cancer-detection technology

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved human clinical trials to test the safety of cancer-detection technology developed at Case Western Reserve University: a tumor-targeting contrast agent that accurately detects aggressive prostate cancer in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan.

22 Apr 2021

New recipients for the 2021 NCCN Foundation Young Investigator Awards announced

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network and the NCCN Foundation today announced six new recipients for the 2021 NCCN Foundation Young Investigator Awards Program.

15 Apr 2021

Campaign informing about risk of tanning should consider people’s resistance to message

Most young women already know that tanning is dangerous and sunbathe anyway, so a campaign informing them of the risk should take into account their potential resistance to the message, according to a new study.

15 Apr 2021