Basal- and Squamous-Cell Carcinomas

In 1996, nearly one million skin cancers were diagnosed in the United States alone. This number approaches the sum of all other types of cancer combined. Malignant transformation can occur in each of the three major call types of the epidermis: the basal cells, the squamous cells, or the pigment-producing melanocytes. Cancer of the melanocytes, or malignant melanoma, is the most lethal and, fortunately, least common type of skin cancer. Of approximately 38,000 cases in 1996, there were approximately 7000 deaths. (Melanoma will be covered in Chapter 85.) The nonmelanoma skin cancers, basal-cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamouscell carcinoma (SCC), together comprise more than 95% of skin cancers, but cause few deaths as they rarely metastasize. Early diagnosis and excision is highly effective in treating all three forms of skin cancer, including melanoma. These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.