Skin Cancers

There are three different types of skin cancer which consist of melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma. Melanoma is a cancer in the pigment-producing cells in the skin. Melanoma is the eighth most common cancer in the United States and causes 1-2% of all cancer deaths. The way to decrease your chance of developing melanoma is to recognize if you are at risk. Ways that you can tell if you are at risk …

…albinism. The most common appearance of basal cell carcinoma is of a raised pink or pearly white bump that may have a translucent, rolled, pearly edge and small visible blood vessels. Some basal cell carcinomas are pigmented and may look like a mole with a pearly border. Another type is flat and scaly with a waxy appearance and an indistinct border. The only way to diagnose basal cell carcinoma is to biopsy suspicious looking lesions.