Cutaneous Cancer

Cancer Care Alberta

Cancer of the skin most often arise in the basal cells and the squamous cells. Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC) is the most common type of skin cancer, making up 75%–80% of all skin cancers. Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) is the second most common kind of skin cancer and accounts for 20% of all skin cancers. BCC and SCC are often discussed separately from melanoma, and are called non-melanoma skin cancers.

Melanoma is the 7th most common cancer. Melanoma has a 5 year survival rate of 89%. Uveal melanoma, also known as ocular melanoma, accounts for 5% of all melanomas and occurs at an incidence rate of about 6 cases per million person years.

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare neuroendocrine tumour that accounts for a small proportion of cutaneous malignancies. MCC typically presents as a fleshy nodule with a red or blue discoloration and the majority occur in the head and neck region.

The following resources are available to help you navigate potential concerns around cancer suspicion, diagnosis, referral pathways and other important information.

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