Overview
Introduction
Skin cancer is not one disease with one level of danger.
Skin cancer is not one disease with one level of danger. Basal cell carcinoma is usually slow-growing and locally destructive; cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma can invade and metastasize, particularly in immunosuppressed patients; melanoma arises from melanocytes and causes most skin-cancer deaths. Ultraviolet radiation damages cellular DNA, making cumulative and intermittent intense exposure important preventable drivers. For clinical practice, connect three questions: does the lesion look or behave differently from the patient's other lesions, what biopsy will preserve the information needed for diagnosis and staging, and what treatment or treatment toxicity requires escalation? A complete examination may be appropriate when risk or a concerning lesion brings a patient for assessment; this is different from population-based whole-body screening of asymptomatic adults.