Skin Cancer Types (Cont.)

Skin Cancer Types: Melanoma

Melanoma is a disease of pigment cells, or melanocytes, that typically occurs in the skin. In rare cases, melanoma also occurs in the:
 
  • Eyes
  • Digestive tract
  • Lymph nodes
  • Other areas where there are melanocytes.
 
This skin cancer type is one of the most commonly occurring invasive cancers that affects people of all ages. Melanoma incidence rates are increasing. For every 100,000 people in the United States, there are 17.7 new cases of melanoma each year. Incidence is higher for men than for women overall, but young women have higher rates than young men. The overall incidence rate for men is 22.5 per 100,000 men, compared with 14.4 per 100,000 for women. The death rate is 2.7 per 100,000.
 
(Click Melanoma for more information.)
 

Other Skin Cancer Types

Besides the three main skin cancer types (basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma), there are several other, less common skin cancer types, which include:
 
 
Combined, they make up less than 1 percent of all skin cancer causes.

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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD