Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. Known risk factors for skin cancer include: complexion, genetics, age, and sun exposure.

There are three forms of skin cancer:

• Basal cell carcinoma- slow growing, seldom spreads and accounts for 90 percent of skin cancers in United States
• Squamous cell carcinoma- generally curable but has a great risk of spreading to other parts of the body
• Melanoma- most deadly, but can be cured if detected early

Skin cancer is the uncontrolled growth of skin cells. If left unchecked, these cancer cells can spread from the skin into other tissues and organs. Skin cancers are sometimes classified as either melanoma or nonmelanoma. Basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma are the most common nonmelanoma skin cancers. Other nonmelanoma skin cancers are Kaposi's sarcoma, Merkel cell carcinoma, and cutaneous lymphoma.

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