TYPES OF SKIN CANCER

Overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation causes different skin conditions including sunspots and skin cancer.

Sunspots (actinic keratosis) are red scaly or crusty spots, more common in fair-skinned people who are frequently in the sun.

They are considered potentially precancerous, and if left untreated, they may turn into a type of cancer called SCC (squamous cell carcinoma).

• • Australia and New Zealand have the highest incidence of skin cancer in the world
  • Skin cancers account for around 80% of all newly diagnosed cancers.
  • More than 90% of skin cancers are caused by exposure to the sun.
  • More than 2,000 Australian die from skin cancer each year

BCC and SCC usually look like red spots, which can bleed, become itchy or tender.

• Melanoma, the most serious one, can arise anywhere on the body and usually resemble a mole with no other symptoms.
• Melanoma is the most common and killing cancer in young Australian (15-39 years old) than any other single cancer.
• More than 13,000 Australian are being diagnosed with melanoma each year in Australia