Skin Cancer

Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the U.S. It occurs in more than a million people each year, including many older people. There are three main types of skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma. Of the three, melanoma is the most serious. Skin cancer occurs when abnormal cells form and multiply in an uncontrolled way in the epidermis, or abnormal cells from the epidermis invade the dermis of the skin. Basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma are skin cancers that are named for the epidermal cells from which they develop.

What is Skin Cancer?

Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer among light skinned individuals. It is the commonest cancer in the United States and in Australia. Each year, about one million people are diagnosed with this cancer. In 85 percent of these cases, the skin damage leading to the cancer occurs before an individual is 18.

Skin Cancer Pathology

Skin Cancer Diagnosis

Rare Skin Cancers

Hair Follicle Tumors

Does Aspirin Increase Your Risk of Skin Cancer?

Skin Cancer Management

Skin Cancer Symptoms

Understanding the Diversity of Skin Cancers

Skin Cancer Prevention

Skin Cancer Classification

Skin Cancer Causes

Latest Skin Cancer News and Research

Key protein found to guide melanoma cells during spread

Researchers have discovered a protein which is critical for steering melanoma cancer cells as they spread throughout the body.

1 Aug 2025

Advanced form of AI opens door to personalized cancer care

What if a computer could read a patient's medical notes and help doctors determine important information for their treatment?

1 Aug 2025

New AI model performs medical image segmentation with far less data

A new artificial intelligence (AI) tool could make it much easier-and cheaper-for doctors and researchers to train medical imaging software, even when only a small number of patient scans are available.

1 Aug 2025

AI-powered dual-imaging approach enhances skin cancer detection accuracy

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer worldwide, and early detection is key to successful treatment.

31 Jul 2025

Immunocompromised people are susceptible to skin cancer caused directly by beta-HPV

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have shown for the first time that a type of human papillomavirus (HPV) commonly found on the skin can directly cause a form of skin cancer called cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) when certain immune cells malfunction.

30 Jul 2025

PD-1 helps guide immune memory cells to the skin early during infection

Weill Cornell Medicine researchers have discovered that PD-1—a molecule best known for putting the brakes on immune cells—also plays a critical role in helping T cells become long-term immune defenders in the skin.

30 Jul 2025

Fad diets and supplements fuel new wave of hidden skin problems, study finds

A new review explains how fad diets and unregulated supplements promoted online can cause serious skin, hair, and nail problems, often before other symptoms appear. Clinicians are urged to recognize these risks and address health misinformation in the digital age.

22 Jul 2025

Specially engineered antibody delivers RNA therapy to treatment-resistant tumors

A specially engineered antibody capable of delivering RNA therapies to hard-to-reach, treatment-resistant tumors significantly shrank tumor size and improved survival in animal models, according to a study published July 16 in Science Translational Medicine.

17 Jul 2025

AI tool predicts tumor aggressiveness using protein markers

As cancer cases have increased worldwide, the disease has become more complex, presenting challenges to scientific advances in diagnosis and treatment.

15 Jul 2025

Nanohydrogel formulation of 5-fluorouracil shows promise for skin cancer therapy

Announcing a new article publication for BIO Integration journal. The pyrimidine analog 5-flurouracil (5-FU) is effective against solid tumors.

9 Jul 2025

Genetically modified herpes virus shows promise against advanced melanoma

The herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), which affects almost two-thirds of the world's population and is generally associated with oral herpes, may cause painful cold sores or fever blisters around the mouth.

9 Jul 2025

New small molecule shows promise against cutaneous HPV infections

Human papillomaviruses, or HPVs, can cause dangerous infections in the skin and mucous membranes and may lead to cancer.

8 Jul 2025

AI assistance improves accuracy and consistency in skin cancer tissue analysis

Pathologists' examinations of tissue samples from skin cancer tumors improved when they were assisted by an AI tool. The assessments became more consistent and patients' prognoses were described more accurately.

4 Jul 2025

Breakthrough study reveals killing power of CD4 T cells against cancer

In the fight against cancer, immunotherapy - which aims to boost the body's natural defences against cancer - is experiencing remarkable growth. Most of these treatments are based on CD8 T lymphocytes, ''killer cells'' able to eliminate diseased cells.

1 Jul 2025