An Overview of Skin Cancer

Resource Overview

Skin cancer includes two large groups: cutaneous melanoma and nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC).

At the start of the 21st Century, melanoma remains a potentially fatal malignancy, accounting for 75% of all deaths from skin cancer. At a time when the incidence of many tumour types is decreasing, melanoma incidence continues to increase. Although most patients have localised disease at the time of the diagnosis and are treated by surgical excision of the primary tumour, many patients develop metastases.

Nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) is the most common form of cancer in the world and approximately 40% of all malignancies. The incidence of nonmelanoma skin cancer has increased since the 1990s, but its mortality rate has decreased.

Once you complete the resource - and achieve the minimum pass rate of 60% - you'll be awarded with a downloadable one hour CPD Certificate, which you can print or upload to your CPD Portfolio.

Aims and Objectives

This module is composed of 10 assessment questions on skin cancer. On successful completion of this resource, you should gain an improved understanding of:

• Differing clinical presentations of skin cancers
• The need for diagnosis of pigmented lesions without delay when a diagnosis of melanoma is suspected
• Appropriate margins needed for clearance in primary excision and wider local excisions to prevent incomplete tumour removal and recurrence
• Staging for melanoma and SCC
• High risk sites for SCC and BCC, and the effect on prognosis