What You Need to Know About Melanoma and Other Skin Cancers

This National Cancer Institute (NCI) booklet is for people diagnosed with the most common types of skin cancer: * - Melanoma - Basal cell skin cancer - Squamous cell skin cancer Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States. Each year, more than 68,000 Americans are diagnosed with melanoma, and another 48,000 are diagnosed with an early form of the disease that involves only the top layer of skin. Also, more than 2 million people are treated for basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer each year. Basal cell skin cancer is several times more common than squamous cell skin cancer. Learning about medical care for skin cancer can help you take an active part in making choices about your care. This booklet tells about: - Diagnosis and staging - Treatment - Follow-up care - How to prevent another skin cancer from forming - How to do a skin self-exam