Two out of every three Australians will be diagnosed with skin cancer before the age of 70 and over 2000 Australians die from skin cancer each year.

• The good news is that most skin cancers can be treated successfully if they are treated early.

Some of the things that place you at an increased risk for skin cancer include:

• Spending lots of time outdoors, particularly if you aren’t using appropriate sun protection
• Having fair or pale skin
• Having a family member with a history of skin cancer
• Having a large number of moles

If you are concerned about your skin or are worried about any spots on your skin, you should make an appointment with your GP for a skin check.

Types of Skin Cancer

There are many different types of skin cancer and they can appear in a variety of different ways. Some of the common skin cancers are shown below:

• Melanoma (pictured above)
  • Melanoma is the most dangerous form of skin cancer. It often occurs on areas of the skin that have had a lot of sun exposure but can rarely occur on skin that hasn’t seen a lot of sun.
  • It may spread through your skin at the site of the skin cancer and can also spread to other areas of your body.
• Basal Cell Carcinoma
  • Also known as BCC, most basal cell carcinomas grow slowly but if left untreated can invade deep to the area and require extensive procedures. It very rarely spreads to other areas of the body.
• Squamous Cell Carcinoma
  • Squamous cell carcinoma or SCC, can often grow quickly and can invade into the area affected and may also spread to other areas of the body if left untreated.