Highlights

Overview:

• Skin cancers are divided into two major groups:
  • Nonmelanoma, which includes basal cell cancer and squamous cell cancer
  • Melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer
• Over 62,000 new cases of melanoma were diagnosed in the United States during 2009.
• Basal cell carcinoma is the most common form of skin cancer. It occurs in about 800,000 - 900,000 people every year.
• Squamous cell cancer of the skin is less common than basal cell cancers. About 200,000 to 300,000 people are diagnosed with this type of cancer each year.

New Drugs:

• The monoclonal antibody ipilimumab is showing significant promise in clinical trials of patients with late stage melanoma.Late stage melanoma patients normally have very few treatment options for their cancer.

Risk Factors:

• Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation is a major risk factor for melanoma. UV radiation is present in sunlight and is generated by indoor tanning devices. Heavy exposure early in life is particularly harmful.
• The risk of melanoma increases with increasing frequency and length of time of using indoors tanning devices.
• People with family history of melanoma have approximately twice risk of developing melanoma as those without a family history.

Prevention:

• The best way to lower your risk of skin cancer is to protect your skin from the sun and UV light.
• Use sunscreens that block out both UVA and UVB radiation.
• Do not rely on sunscreen alone for sun protection. Also wear protective clothing and sunglasses.

Self Examination:

Look for the following signs of possible skin cancer:

• Asymmetry (A). Skin cancers usually grow in an irregular, uneven (asymmetric) way.
• Border (B). Moles with jagged or blurry edges may signal that the cancer is growing and spreading.
• Color (C). One of the earliest signs of melanoma may be the appearance of various colors in the mole.
• Diameter (D). A diameter of 6 millimeters or larger (about the size of a pencil eraser) is worrisome.
• Evolution (E). A lesion that has changed in size, color, or appearance should be examined.

Review Date: 07/04/2010
Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)