Insider There are three types of skin cancer: melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma. About 20% of people in the US will eventually develop one of these three types of skin cancer. Catching it early can improve treatment success, so it’s essential to check your skin regularly.
Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States — in fact, an estimated one in five Americans will develop it at some point over their lifetime. There are three main types of skin cancer:Basal cell carcinomaSquamous cell carcinomaMelanomaKnowing the key signs can help you catch skin cancer early — which can improve your chances of successful treatment. A dermatologist can diagnose all three types of skin cancer via a biopsy, which involves numbing your skin with local anesthesia and then removing a small area of skin to examine for cancer cells in a lab.
Here’s what to know about the signs and treatment options for each type of skin cancer. Basal cell carcinomaBasal cell carcinoma will typically include a raised bump. BSIP / Contributor / Getty ImagesBasal cell carcinoma (BCC), the most common skin cancer, affects more than 2 million Americans each year.
BCC happens when the basal cells in the outermost layer of the skin develop a DNA mutation. This mutation sends a signal to the basal cells to keep growing and multiplying when they should die out. The accumulation of cells can result in a skin lesion.
Signs and symptomsVery often, BCC resembles a pimple that won’t go away, according to Dr. Juliya Fisher, a double board-certified dermatologist at JUVA Skin and Laser Center. Other signs can include:Occasional bleeding from the bumpShiny skin-colored bump with a raised, pearly borderPinkish dry and scaly patches of skinWaxy-looking scar-like bump with no clear borderA brown or blue lesion with a raised, translucent borderBCC and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) are especially common in sun-exposed areas, like your face and neck, head, chest, and arms, says Slade Stratton, a dermatologist at Washington University School of Medicine.
Treatment BCC grows slowly and will very rarely spread, Fisher says. The most common treatments include:Mohs surgery: This in-office procedure removes the skin cancer layer by layer until no cancerous cells remain. Surgical excision: This procedure removes the lesion, along with a small amount of surrounding healthy skin, to make sure all the cancer is removed.
If you can’t undergo surgery, or surgery alone doesn’t treat the cancer, your dermatologist may recommend radiation therapy to kill the cancer cells. When the lesions are small and thin, you may also have the option of topical treatments or cryosurgery, which freezes cancer cells with liquid nitrogen. Squamous cell carcinomaSquamous cell carcinoma will typically include a bump that is crusted over and may bleed occasionally.
BSIP / Contributor / Getty ImagesSCC, the second most common skin cancer, affects over 1 million Americans each year. This type of skin cancer is also caused by DNA damage, specifically, to the squamous cells in the middle and outer layers of the skin. Signs and symptomsOne of the earliest signs of possible SCC is actinic keratoses.
These precancerous skin growths often appear as reddish or dark brown, rough, and scaly spots or patches. They can eventually turn into SCC. SCC often appears as:A firm, rough bump that may crust over and bleedA raised growth that sinks down in the middleA sore that won’t heal or keeps coming backA bump that has a different color from the skin around itA rough lesion on your lip or inside your mouth that may turn into an open soreTreatmentSCC is more likely than BCC to grow into deeper layers of your skin and spread, according to Jukes Namm, MD, a surgical oncologist at Loma Linda University Cancer Center.
That’s why early diagnosis is crucial. When caught early, SCC can usually be cured with surgery, Fisher says. Treatment options include Mohs surgery and surgical excision.
In the case of smaller, low-risk SCC lesions, your dermatologist may recommend curettage and electrodesiccation, an in-office procedure that involves scraping the tumor off of the skin and then using an electrode to destroy any remaining cancer cells. This procedure is not suitable for skin cancer in areas with a lot of hair growth. In cases of more advanced SCC where there’s a high risk it will spread, your care team may recommend radiation therapy as a secondary treatment, according to Namm.
MelanomaMelanoma typically appear as dark spots on the skin. BSIP / Contributor / Getty ImagesMelanoma is caused by DNA damage to melanocytes — skin cells that produce melanin, the pigment that gives your skin its color. It only accounts for about 1% of all skin cancer cases, but rates in the US have rapidly increased over the last 30 years.
Signs and symptomsRoughly 30% of melanomas develop within existing moles, but the majority of them appear suddenly as dark spots. That’s what makes it so essential to pay attention to any changes in your skin. Namm suggests using the “ABCDE” acronym when looking for possible signs of melanoma:Asymmetry: An irregular shape — one half doesn’t match the otherBorder: Jagged edgesColor: Uneven colorDiameter: Larger than a pencil eraser or pea (6 mm)Evolving: Changes in shape, size, or color in recent weeksWomen are more likely to have melanomas on their legs, while men tend to get them on their backs, according to Stratton.
These lesions may itch or bleed. Treatment Experts consider melanoma one of the most serious skin cancers because it can grow quickly and spread to any organ. After diagnosing melanoma, Stratton says your surgeon may conduct a sentinel node biopsy — the removal of small lymph nodes to test them for cancer cells — to determine whether or not the cancer has spread.
If melanoma hasn’t spread, treatment generally involves surgery to remove the cancer and some healthy surrounding skin. If melanoma has spread, treatment options include:Immunotherapy: drugs that activate the immune system to help your body fight off cancerTargeted cancer therapy: drugs that can attack cancer cells if they have a specific mutationLymphadenectomy: surgical removal of the affected lymph node basinMetastasectomy: surgical removal of melanoma from organs, which may be recommended in some specific circumstancesRadiation therapy: a rarely used treatment that exposes the melanoma to high-energy rays in order to kill cancer cellsRisk factorsAccording to Namm, factors that may increase your risk of skin cancer include:Excessive exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun or indoor tanningLight-colored skin, eyes, and hairA history of skin cancer or precancerous lesionsHistory of sunburnsRare genetic diseases like xeroderma pigmentosum, which causes extreme sensitivity to sunlightHaving a weakened immune systemExposure to UV light remains the main risk factor for melanoma. UV light damages the DNA inside your skin cells, which can cause mutations that lead to cancer.
Other major risk factors for melanoma, specifically, include:History of thyroid or breast cancerFamily history of melanomaHaving 50 or more molesWhen to connect with a doctorThe more skin cancer progresses, the deeper the damage grows into your skin. Solar22 / Getty ImagesNamm and Fisher suggest checking for spots that:Have an unusual color, shape, or borderHave noticeably grown in size, or are larger than ¼ inch acrossOccasionally bleed and don’t healAre scaly, rough, or unusual in textureSince it can sometimes be hard to distinguish between a regular mole and skin cancer, Namm strongly advises getting an annual skin screening, where your dermatologist will examine your body from head to toe for signs of cancer. Regularly examining your own skin for any changes can help you catch cancer and get treatment promptly before it spreads.
Insider’s takeawayMelanoma is a rare and aggressive form of skin cancer, while BCC and SCC are more common, but less likely to spread. Surgery and other treatments can often successfully treat all types of skin cancer, particularly if you catch it in the early stages. As a general rule, if you notice a new spot on your skin or an existing spot that has changed in color, size, or shape, it’s always worth having a dermatologist check it out.
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