About our e-newsletters
- Free e-newsletters
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- We do not share your e-mail address
Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
Housecall Archives
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Definition
By Mayo Clinic staff
Skin cancer — the abnormal growth of skin cells — most often develops on skin exposed to the sun. But this common form of cancer can also occur on areas of your skin not ordinarily exposed to sunlight.
There are three major types of skin cancer — basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma.
You can reduce your risk of skin cancer by limiting or avoiding exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Checking your skin for suspicious changes can help detect skin cancer at its earliest stages. Early detection of skin cancer gives you the greatest chance for successful skin cancer treatment.
- What you need to know about skin cancer. National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/wyntk/skin. Accessed April 19, 2010.
- What you need to know about melanoma. National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/wyntk/melanoma/allpages. Accessed April 21, 2010.
- Melanoma: What it looks like. SkinCancerNet. http://www.skincarephysicians.com/skincancernet/melanoma.html. Accessed April 30, 2010.
- Wood GS, et al. Nonmelanoma skin cancers: Basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas. In: Abeloff MD, et al. Abeloff's Clinical Oncology. 4th edition. Philadelphia, Pa.: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/191173937-2/0/1709/0.html#. Accessed April 30, 2010.
- What is skin cancer? SkinCancerNet. http://www.skincarephysicians.com/skincancernet/whatis.html. Accessed April 21, 2010.
- Kaposi sarcoma treatment (PDQ): Patient version. National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/kaposis/patient/allpages/print. Accessed April 30, 2010.
- Skin cancer treatment (PDQ): Health professional version. National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/skin/healthprofessional. Accessed April 19, 2010.
- Valeyrie-Allanore L, et al. Drug-induced skin, nail and hair disorders. Drug Safety. 2007;30:1011.
- What is Kaposi sarcoma? American Cancer Society. http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_4_1X_What_is_Kaposis_Sarcoma_21.asp?rnav=cri. Accessed May 18, 2010.
- Lazovich D, et al. Indoor tanning and risk of melanoma: A case-control study in a highly exposed population. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. 2010;19(6):1557. http://cebp.aacrjournals.org/content/early/2010/05/21/1055-9965.EPI-09-1249.full.pdf. Accessed May 27, 2010.
Find Mayo Clinic on