December 1, 2019
Skin cancers include carcinomas of all layers of the skin with the most common being basal cell (BCC) and squamous cell carcinomas (SCC). Melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers (Merkel cell carcinoma, Kaposi sarcoma, cutaneous lymphoma and other sarcomas) are much less common. Of all the skin cancer types, melanoma is a serious form of skin cancer that begins in melanocytes, the melanin-producing neural crest-derived cells located in the bottom layer (the stratum basale) of the skin’s epidermis. While malignant BCC and SCC are rarely metastatic, the less common malignant melanoma, on the other hand, is highly aggressive and spreads rapidly to other parts of the body. Melanomas present in many different shapes, sizes and colors with a comprehensive set of warning signs.[1]