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Skin cancers are divided into melanomas and all other types, referred to as nonmelanomas. Nonmelanomas are more common and pose less risk than melanomas because the cells rarely spread elsewhere in the body. Melanomas begin in the melanocytes, the cells that produce skin pigment.
Melanoma can be found early, and when it is, it can almost always be treated successfully. Spots on the skin that change in size, shape, or color should be seen by a doctor right away. Any unusual sore, lump, blemish, marking, or change in the way an area of the skin looks or feels may be a sign of skin cancer. Most often a biopsy will be performed to determine if a mole is actually cancer.
The doctor’s best choice of treatment depends largely on the thickness of the tumor and the stage of the disease. The most common treatments for skin cancer include different types of surgery to remove the tumor and surrounding tissue, and chemotherapy or immunotherapy may be performed if the cancer cells have spread to other parts of the body.
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