Melanoma and Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer
Types of Skin Cancer
There are three major types of skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and malignant melanoma.
Basal cell carcinomas are raised, translucent, pearly nodules which may crust, ulcerate, and sometimes bleed. They occur most often on the face and other exposed areas of the body, but can appear on other areas.
Squamous cell carcinomas usually are raised, pink, opaque nodules or patches which frequently ulcerate in the center. They most often appear on exposed areas of the body, but also may appear elsewhere.
Malignant melanomas are usually small brown-black or larger multicolored patches, plaques or nodules with irregular outline. They may crust on the surface or bleed. Many of them may arise in pre-existing moles.