Sandbox:Sara

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Sara Mohsin, M.D.[2]

Skin cancer is the malignant growth on the skin which is the most common type of malignancy in Caucasians. Skin cancer generally develops in the epidermis (the outermost layer of skin), so a tumor is usually clearly visible. This makes most skin cancers detectable in the early stages. Skin cancer is broadly classified into melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) with most common NMSC types to be squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma. Most common cause of skin cancer is DNA mutations caused by UV irradiation over a proplonged period of time especially in fair-skinned individuals. Skin cancer is the fastest growing type of cancer in the United States. Skin cancer represents the most commonly diagnosed malignancy, surpassing lung, breast, colorectal and prostate cancer. More than 1 million Americans were estimated to be diagnosed with skin cancer in 2007. Skin cancer can be treated by surgery, or other non-surgical options such as cryotherapy, electrotherapy, curettage, photodynamic therapy, chemical peel, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted therapy and biological therapy. Cancers caused by UV exposure may be prevented by avoiding exposure to sunlight or other UV sources, wearing sun-protective clothes, and using a broad-spectrum sunscreen.