What is skin cancer

Skin cancer is a disease of the body's skin cells usually as a result of skin cell damage. It begins in the lower layer of the epidermis (the outside layer of the skin). The epidermis contains three different types of cells: squamous cells, basal cells and melanocytes.   That’s where the names for the different types of skin cancer come from: basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma.

Read more about the types of skin cancer.

Skin cancer  mostly occurs when the skin has received too much of the sun’s ultraviolet radiation (UVR) which damages these cells.  The cells then change (or in medical terms “mutate”) and skin cancer can form. There are various things you can do to protect yourself from the sun’s UV radiation.

Whilst we have to remember that there are some rare forms of skin cancer which cannot be found early, the good news is that most skin cancers can be prevented or found early.

More information is available