TYPES OF SKIN CANCER
YEAR ROUND PROTECTION
TIPS TO PREVENT SKIN CANCER

MELANOMA
Melanoma is the most serious form of skin cancer. While it is not the most common of the skin cancers, it causes the most deaths. The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2007, there will be 8,110 fatalities, 5,220 in men and 2,800 in women in the U.S. The number of new cases of melanoma is estimated at 59,940; of these, 26,030 will be women.

Warning Signs: The ABCDEs of Melanoma

Asymmetry - If you draw a line through the mole, the two halves will not match.
Border - The borders of an early melanoma tend to be uneven. The edges may be scalloped or notched.
Color - Having a variety of colors is another warning signal. A number of different shades of brown, tan or black could appear. A melanoma may also become pink, blue or some other color.
Diameter - Melanomas usually are larger in diameter than the size of the eraser on your pencil (1/4 inch or 6 mm), but they may sometimes be smaller when first detected.
Evolving - Any change — in size, shape, color, elevation, or another trait, or any new symptom such as bleeding, itching or crusting — points to danger.

BASAL CELL
Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common form of cancer, with more than 800,000 new cases estimated in the US each year. Basal cells are cells that line the deepest layer of the epidermis. An abnormal growth — a tumor —of this layer is known as basal cell carcinoma.

SQUAMOUS CELL
Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the second most common form of skin cancer, with over 250,000 new cases per year estimated in the United States. Squamous cells are cells that compose most of the epidermis. An abnormal growth of these cells is known as a squamous cell carcinoma.

ACTINIC KERATOSIS and OTHER PRECANCERS
A number of abnormal but relatively harmless skin growths constitute the early warning signs of skin cancer. These may be precancerous lesions, benign tumors that mask or mimic more serious ones, or malignant tumors that are at the moment just on the topmost layer of the skin. They are important to recognize, because they are a warning sign of potential skin cancer.

Skin in a precancerous state is abnormal but not malignant. The term "precancerous" is used because these abnormal areas of skin are more likely to turn malignant than healthy skin. Precancerous growths are visible to the naked eye, and they look different from normal cells when they are examined under a microscope.