1. What is skin cancer?
2. What are the types of skin cancer?
3. How common is skin cancer?
4. How dangerous is skin cancer?
5. What should I look for at home?
6. How do I find out if I have skin cancer?
7. How often should I have my skin checked?
8. Can I do anything to help prevent skin cancer?
9. What happens after skin cancer is diagnosed?
10. What is Mohs surgery?

1. What is skin cancer?
Skin cancer, like other cancers results when one of the cells that makes up the skin begins to divide out of control. Often times, sun causes damage to these cells which then continue to divide and grow in size.


2. What are the types of skin cancer?
There are many types of skin cancer. The three main types include basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma.


3. How common is skin cancer?
Skin cancer is very common. There are over 1,000,000 new cases a year in the United States alone. Of these, approximately 80% are basal cell carcinomas, 16% are squamous cell carcinomas, and 4% are melanomas.


4. How dangerous is skin cancer?
The dangerous potential of skin cancer is variable. Most basal cell carcinomas have little potential to spread or do harm, they often can invade locally however. In contrast, melanoma is very serious and can spread to lymph nodes and other organs, and even result in death.


5. What should I look for at home?
In general it is a good idea to look at your skin every month or so. When it comes to moles, you should look for the ABCD's, as discussed in the "Mole" section of the FAQ's. For the other types of skin cancer, if you have noticed a sore that does not seem to heal, or a lesion that bleeds for no reason, that is something to let your doctor know.


6. How do I find out if I have skin cancer?
The definitive way of diagnosing a skin cancer is by a biopsy of the lesion. This is performed in the doctor's office should a skin cancer be suspected.


7. How often should I have my skin checked?
In general, it is a good idea to have your skin checked at least once a year. If you have a history of a previous skin cancer, it is good to get checked every 6 months. In addition, those with a history of melanoma should be checked 4 times a year for a year or two after the initial diagnosis is made and then 2-3 times a year thereafter.


8. Can I do anything to help prevent skin cancer?
Probably the best thing you can do is to protect your skin from the sun. Sun is the main cause of both basal cell and squamous cell cancers and contributes to melanoma. For tips on protecting yourself from the sun, check out our "Sun Protection" section.


9. What happens after skin cancer is diagnosed?
Once a skin cancer is diagnosed with a biopsy, typically a second procedure will need to be performed to assure that all of the abnormal cells have been removed. This may be either a destruction (scraping and/or burning) of the lesions, an excision (surgically removing the skin with stitches) or a special kind of surgery called Mohs surgery, which is usually for basal cell and squamous cell cancers.


10. What is Mohs surgery?
Mohs surgery is a special form of dermatologic surgery that involves a layer by layer approach to removing a skin cancer. It is performed in an office that has special equipment that allows the doctor to immediately analyze the skin after removing it. Mohs surgery is also a way of taking just what is needed to remove the entire skin cancer while leaving the smallest scar. The procedure is done as an outpatient (no admission to the hospital) and is performed under local anesthesia (you will not be put to sleep). The area is removed surgically and looked at under the microscope. If there is still cancer left, a second layer is removed, and so on until the cancer has been completely removed.