Are skin cancers fatal?
In 1999, there will be an estimated 1.2 million cases of skin cancer in United States. The vast majority of these, approximately 85%, are basal cell carcinomas. These are rarely fatal and are usually a slow-growing, localized tumor that can be treated most commonly by surgery or other techniques. The second most common type of skin cancer diagnosed in the United States is squamous cell carcinoma. An estimated 300,000 cases of squamous cell carcinoma of the skin will be diagnosed. This is probably an under representation of the actual number. It is unlike basal cell carcinoma. Squamous cell carcinoma can metastasize or spread elsewhere in the body. Several thousand people die in the United States from squamous cell carcinoma of the skin due to its spread. Most common treatments for squamous cell carcinoma of the skin would include surgery, occasional radiation therapy, and other modalities. Finally the most serious form of skin cancer is malignant melanoma. In the United States, maligna
