Skin cancer

A skin tumour is an abnormal growth that occurs on the skin. There are many different forms of skin tumours.

They may appear as a slightly raised or inflamed patch or lump on the skin and some may have a different colour from the rest of the skin. Many of these tumours are harmless and will not spread.

In most patients, skin cancer is not a life-threatening disease. Treatment is usually relatively simple and involves the removal or destruction of the cancer.

However, some patients require extensive, longer-term treatment, which may involve specialist care and treatment in hospital.

Skin cancers can be put into two groups. The most common group in the United Kingdom is the non-melanoma skin cancers which include the following: Basal cell carcinoma and Squamous cell carcinoma.

The other group of skin cancers is called melanoma, sometimes also called malignant melanoma.