How Do You Get Skin Cancer

Skin cancer is one of the near common cancers in the world. Non-melanoma pare cancer refers to a group of cancers that slowly develop in the upper layers of the skin.

The term non-melanoma distinguishes these more than common types of skin cancer from the less mutual skin cancer known as melanoma, which tin be more serious.

In the UK, around 147,000 new cases of non-melanoma pare cancer are diagnosed each year. It affects more men than women and is more than mutual in the elderly.

Symptoms of non-melanoma cancer

The offset sign of non-melanoma peel cancer is usually the appearance of a lump or discoloured patch on the skin that persists subsequently a few weeks and slowly progresses over months or sometimes years. This is the cancer, or tumour.

In most cases, malignant lumps are ruby-red and house and sometimes turn into ulcers, while malignant patches are usually flat and scaly.

Non-melanoma pare cancer almost oftentimes develops on areas of pare regularly exposed to the sun, such as the face, ears, hands, shoulders, upper chest and dorsum.

When to get medical advice

Meet a GP if you have any peel abnormality, such as a lump, ulcer, lesion or skin discolouration that has not healed later 4 weeks. While it'due south unlikely to be skin cancer, information technology's all-time to go it checked.

Types of non-melanoma pare cancer

Non-melanoma skin cancers usually develop in the outermost layer of pare (epidermis) and are oftentimes named after the type of skin cell from which they develop.

The ii near mutual types of not-melanoma skin cancer are:

basal prison cell carcinoma (BCC), also known as a rodent ulcer, starts in the cells lining the bottom of the epidermis and accounts for virtually 75 in every 100 skin cancers
squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) starts in the cells lining the top of the epidermis and accounts for about 20 in every 100 skin cancers

Basal cell carcinoma

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) usually appears as a pocket-size, shiny pink or pearly-white lump with a translucent or waxy appearance. It can also look like a cherry-red, scaly patch.

There's sometimes some brown or black pigment within the patch.

The lump slowly gets bigger and may become crusty, drain or develop into a painless ulcer.

Basal cell carcinoma does not normally spread to other parts of the trunk. In that location'southward a small risk (upward to v%) of squamous cell carcinoma spreading to other parts of the torso, ordinarily the lymph nodes (pocket-sized glands found throughout your body).

Squamous cell carcinoma

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) appears as a business firm pink lump with a rough or crusted surface. In that location tin can be a lot of surface calibration and sometimes fifty-fifty a spiky horn sticking up from the surface.

The lump oft feels tender when touched, bleeds easily and may develop into an ulcer.

For both SCC and BCC there can sometimes be considerable pare damage if the tumour is non treated.

Bowen's disease

Bowen's disease is a precancerous form of Squamous prison cell carcinoma SCC sometimes referred to as squamous cell carcinoma in situ. Information technology develops slowly and is easily treated.

The main sign is a red, scaly patch on the skin that may itch. Information technology nigh commonly affects elderly women and is often found on the lower leg. However, information technology can appear on whatsoever area of skin.

Although not classed as not-melanoma pare cancer, Bowen's affliction can sometimes develop into SCC if left untreated.

Actinic keratoses

Actinic keratoses, also known as solar keratoses, are dry out, scaly patches of skin caused by damage from years of sun exposure.

The patches can be pinkish, red or brown, and tin can vary in size from a few millimetres to a few centimetres across.

The affected skin tin sometimes become very thick, and occasionally the patches can await like pocket-sized horns or spikes.

Similar Bowen'south disease, actinic keratosis is not classed equally non-melanoma skin cancer, but there's a small risk that the patches could develop into squamous jail cell carcinoma (SCC) if untreated.

What causes not-melanoma skin cancer?

Overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) light is the chief cause of non-melanoma skin cancer. UV light comes from the dominicus, as well as from artificial tanning sunbeds and sunlamps.

Other take chances factors that can increment your chances of developing non-melanoma pare cancer include:

a previous non-melanoma skin cancer
a family history of skin cancer
stake pare that burns easily
a large number of moles or freckles
taking medicine that suppresses your immune organisation
a co-existing medical status that suppresses your allowed system

Diagnosing not-melanoma skin cancer

A GP can examine your skin for signs of skin cancer. They may refer you lot to a pare specialist (dermatologist) or a specialist plastic surgeon if they're unsure or suspect skin cancer.

Y'all'll have an urgent referral (inside 2 weeks) if you lot have squamous cell skin cancer.

Basal cell peel cancers unremarkably do not need an urgent referral, but y'all should still see a specialist within 18 weeks.

Find out more well-nigh NHS waiting times

The specialist will examine your peel and may do a biopsy to ostend a diagnosis of peel cancer.

A biopsy is a process where some of the affected peel is removed so it can be examined.

Treating non-melanoma skin cancer

Surgery is the main handling for non-melanoma pare cancer. It involves removing the cancerous tumour and some of the surrounding skin.

Other treatments for non-melanoma skin cancer include freezing (cryotherapy), anti-cancer creams, radiotherapy and a form of calorie-free treatment called photodynamic therapy (PDT).

The handling used will depend on the type, size and location of the non-melanoma skin cancer you lot have.

Treatment for non-melanoma peel cancer is unremarkably successful as, unlike most other types of cancer, in that location's a considerably lower run a risk that the cancer will spread to other parts of the body.

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) does not usually spread to other parts of the body. There'southward a small risk (up to five%) of squamous prison cell carcinoma (SCC) spreading to other parts of the body, usually the lymph nodes (small glands establish throughout your body).

However, for both BCC and SCC in that location tin sometimes be considerable peel harm if the tumour is non treated.

At least 9 out of 10 not-melanoma skin cancer cases are successfully cured.

Complications

If you've had not-melanoma skin cancer in the past, at that place'southward a chance the condition may render.

The gamble of not-melanoma skin cancer returning is increased if your previous cancer was big in size and high grade (severe).

If your cancer squad feels in that location's a significant risk of non-melanoma skin cancer returning, you'll probably need regular check-ups to monitor your health.

Information technology'south likewise of import to be aware that if y'all've had a non-melanoma skin cancer, your run a risk of developing another one in the futurity is increased because these cancers are often multiple.

This means information technology's important to regularly examine your skin to check for new tumours.

Preventing non-melanoma skin cancer

Non-melanoma skin cancer is not always preventable, but you can reduce your hazard of developing it by avoiding overexposure to UV light.

You can protect yourself from sunburn by using loftier-gene sunscreen, dressing sensibly in the sun, and limiting the amount of time y'all spend in the sun during the hottest part of the day.

Sunbeds and sunlamps should too exist avoided.

Regularly checking your skin for signs of skin cancer can help pb to an early diagnosis and increase your chance of successful treatment.

Find out more than about sunscreen and sun safety

Folio last reviewed: 06 January 2020
Next review due: 06 January 2023