The most common of all cancers, skin cancer accounts for nearly half of all cancers in the U.S. and will kill more than 10,000 people this year.

Most skin cancers are classified as nonmelanoma. These cancers occur in cells that are located at the base of the outer layer of the skin or that cover the internal and external surfaces of the body. Most nonmelanoma skin cancers develop on sun-exposed areas of the body. They can be fast or slow growing, but they rarely spread to other parts of the body. More than 1 million cases of nonmelanoma skin cancer are found in the U.S. each year.

Melanoma is skin cancer that begins in the melanocytes--the cells that produce the skin coloring or pigment known as melanin. Although melanoma accounts for only about 60,000 cases of skin cancer each year, it is far more dangerous than other skin cancers, accounting for nearly three out of every four skin cancer deaths. While melanoma is rare in children, it is on the rise.

Benefits of Skin Cancer Screening

For basal cell or squamous cell cancers, a cure is highly likely if the cancer is detected and treated early.

Melanoma, even though it can spread to other body parts quickly, is almost always curable if it is detected early and treated properly. About 83 percent of melanomas are diagnosed at a localized stage, when the five-year survival rate is 98 percent.

Everyone can play an important role in finding skin cancer early through both regular self-examination and examinations by your physician during routine check-ups. Friends and family members can also help by telling each other about areas of skin that look unusual.

Skin Cancer Examination Tips

It’s important to check your skin--and that of your family members--preferably once a month. Self-examination is best done in a well-lit room in front of a full-length mirror. All areas should be examined, including your palms and soles, the scalp, ears, under your nails, and your back.

A hand-held mirror can be used for areas that are hard to see, such as your lower back and the back of your thighs. A spouse or other partner may be able to help you with these examinations, especially for those areas.

Signs and Symptoms of Melanoma

A normal mole is usually an evenly colored brown, tan, or black spot on the skin. It can be flat or raised, round or oval. Moles are generally less than ¼ inch in diameter (about the width of a pencil eraser). Almost all moles are harmless. The ABCD rule can help distinguish a normal mole from a melanoma.

A for asymmetry: One half of the mole does not match the other half.

B for border irregularity: The edges of the mole are irregular, ragged, blurred, or notched.

C for color: The color over the mole is not the same. There may be differing shades of tan, brown, or black, and sometimes patches of red, blue, or white.

D for diameter: The mole is larger than 6 millimeters (about ¼ inch or about the size of a pencil eraser), although in recent years doctors are finding more melanomas between 3 and 6 millimeters.

Other important signs of melanoma include changes in size, shape, or color of a mole or the appearance of a new spot. Some melanomas do not fit the ABCD rule described above. In children, a melanoma may look like a tiny black spot or a small pink lesion.

For this reason, it's very important to know your skin. Become familiar with the pattern of moles, blemishes, freckles, and other marks on your skin so that you'll notice any changes that may suggest a melanoma is developing.

Examination by a Health Care Professional

Part of a routine cancer-related checkup should include a skin examination by a health care professional qualified to diagnose skin cancer. Be sure to show your doctor any area that concerns you, ask your doctor to look at areas that are difficult for you to see, and tell your doctor if you notice any of the following:

• any change on the skin, especially in the size or color of a mole or other darkly pigmented growth or spot, or a new growth
• scaliness, oozing, bleeding, or change in the appearance of a bump or nodule
• the spread of pigmentation beyond its border such as dark coloring that spreads past the edge of a mole or mark
• a change in sensation, itchiness, tenderness, or pain

If your physician cannot conclusively rule out melanoma, you should see a dermatologist, a medical doctor who specializes in skin problems. Many dermatologists are using a technique called dermatoscopy or epiluminescence microscopy (ELM) to see a suspicious spot more clearly. Studies have shown that dermatoscopy or ELM can greatly improve accuracy in finding melanomas early.