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Skin Cancer
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What You Need To Know About Moles
Information about common moles and dysplastic nevi, or atypical moles, including pictures and a discussion of how some moles may be related to melanoma. NIH Publication No. 99-3133

Melanoma Home Page
NCI's gateway for information about melanoma.

PDQ® - NCI's Comprehensive Cancer Database
Full description of the NCI PDQ database.
General Cancer Resources
Coping with Cancer
Managing side effects and complications caused by cancer and its treatment.

Support and Resources
Information about cancer support organizations, finances, insurance, home care, and hospice care.

Educational Materials About Clinical Trials
Types of trials, how they work, risks and benefits of taking part.

Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Healing philosophies, approaches, and therapies used in addition to, or instead of, conventional cancer treatments.
Definition of skin cancer: Cancer that forms in tissues of the skin. There are several types of skin cancer. Skin cancer that forms in melanocytes (skin cells that make pigment) is called melanoma. Skin cancer that forms in basal cells (small, round cells in the base of the outer layer of skin) is called basal cell carcinoma. Skin cancer that forms in squamous cells (flat cells that form the surface of the skin) is called squamous cell carcinoma. Skin cancer that forms in neuroendocrine cells (cells that release hormones in response to signals from the nervous system) is called neuroendocrine carcinoma of the skin. Most skin cancers form in older people on parts of the body exposed to the sun or in people who have weakened immune systems.

Estimated new cases and deaths from skin (nonmelanoma) cancer in the United States in 2008:


New cases: more than 1,000,000
Deaths: less than 1,000

See the online booklet What You Need To Know About™ Skin Cancer to learn about skin cancer symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and questions to ask the doctor.
Treatment
Information about treatment, including surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, and vaccine therapy
Skin Cancer Treatment
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Clinical Trials to Treat Skin Cancer (Nonmelanoma)

Merkel Cell Carcinoma Treatment
[patient] [health professional]

Clinical Trials to Treat Merkel Cell Carcinoma

Cryosurgery in Cancer Treatment: Q & A

Lasers in Cancer Treatment: Q & A

Merkel Cell Carcinoma: Questions and Answers

Metastatic Cancer: Q&A
Prevention, Genetics, Causes
Information related to prevention, genetics, and risk factors
Skin Cancer Prevention
[patient] [health professional]

Clinical Trials to Prevent Skin Cancer (Nonmelanoma)

NCI Research to Prevent Skin Cancer

Cancer Risk: Understanding the Puzzle

Understanding Gene Testing

Search: Cancer Genetics Services Directory
Screening and Testing
Information about methods of cancer detection including new imaging technologies, tumor markers, and biopsy procedures
Skin Cancer Screening
[patient] [health professional]

Interpreting Laboratory Test Results
  Clinical Trials
Information and current news about clinical trials and trial-related data
Clinical Trials for Skin Cancer (Nonmelanoma)

How to Find a Cancer Treatment Trial
Cancer Literature
Resources available from the PubMed database
Cancer Topic Searches: Skin Cancers and Melanoma

Cancer Topic Searches: Cancer Genetics

Cancer Literature in PubMed
Research and Related Information
Includes NCI-supported research, funding opportunities, and special reports
Cancer Trends Progress Report: Sun Protection

Skin SPOREs

NCI Funded Research Portfolio
Statistics
Information related to cancer incidence, mortality, and survival
Finding Cancer Statistics

Understanding Cancer Statistics

A Service of the National Cancer Institute
Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health USA.gov