Northwest Oncology & Hematology

Rolling Meadows Office: 847.870.4100
Elk Grove Village Office: 847.437.3312
Hoffman Estates Office: 847.885.4100
Barrington Office: 847.842.0180
Elgin Office: 847.577.1023

Welcome to our health education library. The information shared below is provided to you as an educational and informational source only and is not intended to replace a medical examination or consultation, or medical advice given to you by a physician or medical professional.

Types of Skin CancerC¡ncer de la piel: Tipos

Types of Skin Cancer

Skin cancer is a serious disease that can affect anyone. It is the most common form of cancer. If caught early, skin cancer can often be treated with success. But in some cases, it is life-threatening. To play it safe, start doing monthly skin checkups. If you see any changes in your skin, contact your doctor right away. Read on to learn more.

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Basal Cell Cancer

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Melanoma

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Squamous Cell Cancer

Basal cell cancer is the most common skin cancer. Lesions often appear on the face, ears, neck, trunk, or arms. Varying in color, these lesions may be waxy, pearly, scaly, or scarlike. Tiny blood vessels may be seen through the lesion's surface.

Melanoma is the most dangerous type of skin cancer. A melanoma lesion's borders are often poorly defined. It may be mixed in color. The shape and size of melanoma lesions tend to differ from one side to the other.

Paget's disease is a less common type of skin cancer. Lesions appear on only one breast. Or, they may form on the armpits or genitals. This disease takes the form of a scaly, reddish rash with sharp borders. The rash looks like dry skin, is firm to the touch, and is slightly raised. This rash does not clear up.

Squamous cell cancer is also a common type of skin cancer. Lesions often form on the face (commonly on the lips), ears, neck, hands, or arms. The lesions are firm, red bumps or flat, scaly, crusty growths.

Bowen's disease is an early stage of squamous cell cancer. The lesions are red, crusty, scaly growths with well-defined borders.

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Actinic Keratosis

A Precancerous Skin Change

Actinic keratosis is not skin cancer. It is a common, precancerous skin change. Actinic keratosis lesions tend to appear on sun-exposed parts of the body. They can be reddish-brown or skin-colored. These lesions are most often raised, scaly, and rough, like sandpaper. In some cases, actinic keratosis lesions are painful.

Date Last Reviewed: 2007-01-15T00:00:00-07:00

Date Last Modified: 2002-07-09T00:00:00-06:00

Contact us at Northwest Oncology & Hematology. You can reach us at 847.870.4100 (Rolling Meadows office), 847.437.3312 (Elk Grove Village office), 847.885.4100 (Hoffman Estates office), 847.842.0180 (Barrington office) and 847.577.1023 (Elgin office)For your convenience, you can also use our New Patient Appointment online form to schedule your consultation with us.

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