Skin Cancer

Skin cancer is separated into melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers. Non-melanoma skin cancers, affecting approximately one million people each year, are the most common cancers, and approximately 2000 people die each year from these cancers. Basal and squamous cell non-melanoma skin cancers are very common with a yearly incidence of approximately 800,000 cases. Due to differing biologic behaviors, melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers should be considered separately. Non-melanoma squamous cell skin cancer and squamous cell lung cancer differ on the basis of their biologic behaviors. However, tumor volumes for skin and lung squamous cell cancers are different, and superficial skin cancers are detectable early and tend to be treated quite early. Melanoma skin cancers affecting approximately 87,000 cases/year in the USA are ectodermal originated tumors arising from melanocyte. Sun exposure and Celtic ancestry seem to be the related epidemiology as with non-melanoma skin cancers with other prognostic factors of sex and patient age. Basic concepts that are crucial to understanding skin cancer are reviewed in depth in this chapter.