Skin Cancer
Types
Skin cancer can occur anywhere on the body, but more commonly develops
in areas that are more exposed to the sunlight like face skin, neck skin,
hands or arms skin.
There are four types of skin cancer:
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Basal cell carcinoma is the most common
type of skin cancer. It develops in the deepest layer of the
epidermis. It usually occurs in areas exposed more often to
the sun like the nose. Initially, the tumor looks like a small,
smooth and pearly bump or as a flat and firm scar. This type
of cancer can spread to adjacent areas and rarely to other
parts of the body.
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Squamous cell carcinoma is another common
type of skin cancer that develops in the keratinocytes layer
of the epidermis. It usually occurs in those regions of
the skin more exposed to the sun, like ears, lower lip, and
back of the hands, or in areas of the skin that have been
burned or exposed to chemicals and radiation. This type of
cancer appears as a red firm or scaly bump that can bleed
or form a crust.
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Melanoma is the most virulent form of skin cancer.
It occurs in the lower layer of the epidermis when melanocytes (the
pigment cells) become malignant and grow and divide abnormally. This
type of cancer can spread to other areas and organs of the body through
the lymph vessels (phase called metastatic melanoma) if not treated.
There are six morphologic types of melanoma:
-
Superficial spread melanoma is
the most common type of melanoma and follows a long growth pattern
before it becomes invasive. This type of cancer looks like a brown,
flat or slight lesion with irregular asymmetric borders and with
a black, blue or pink discoloration. It can occur anywhere on the
body, especially in the neck and head area, or on the male's trunk
and female's lower extremities.
-
Nodular melanoma is a less
common type of melanoma that occurs and can spread to nearby areas
extremely fast. It appear as a dark brown to black papule or dome-shape
nodule. This type of cancer can occur anywhere on the body, especially
on the male's trunk.
-
Acral-lentiginous melanoma is
a rare form of melanoma but common for dark-skinned people. It follows
a progressive growth pattern and is an aggressive type of melanoma.
-
Lentigo maligna melanoma
is another rare form of melanoma and follows a long growth pattern
before it becomes invasive. Initially, it appears as a lesion larger
than 3 cm and becomes dark brown to black color or as a blue-black
nodes during the invasive phase. This type of melanoma is caused
by sun exposure and occurs in those regions of the skin that are
more exposed to the sun light.
-
Amelanotic melanoma is
a very rare form of melanoma and is difficult to diagnose due to
the lack of pigmentation.
-
Desmoplastic melanoma is
another rare form of melanoma. It is an aggressive type of cancer
and is difficult to diagnose. It is more common in elderly patients
and usually occurs on the head or neck area.
4. Merkel Cell Carcinoma: This is a rare and highly
aggressive form of skin cancer.
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Article by Alina Morrow, MS
Medical Writer
OmniMedicalSearch.com
Page Covers: What are the types of skin cancer?
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