Skin Cancer Types

They usually present as scaly or crusted areas on the surface of the skin.

Often Actinic Keratoses are so small that they can only be detected by expert examination. Patients may have many times more invisible (subclinical) lesions than those that appear on the surface.

Studies state that up to 20% can progress to become Squamous Cell Carcinoma or other skin cancers

When treated early the vast majority of Actinic Keratosis are not serious and their significance lies in their potential to transform, and in cases of heavy encrustation, to cause cosmetic impact that in severe cases can be significant.

The higher the number of moles someone has, the higher their risk of melanoma. Those who have 50 or more have 12 times the risk of developing melanoma compared with the general population.

All individuals with these moles should practice rigorous daily sun protection, perform a monthly head-to-toe skin self-examination and have regular professional skin checks, ideally every 6 months or as directed by your Doctor.

It appears in the upper layer of the epidermis and usually on the most sun exposed areas (head, neck, hands, forearms and lower legs).

It is one of the most common cancers in Australia, and accounts for around 15-20% of non-melanoma skin cancers.

In 2016 there were 120,000 cases in Australia. This equates to 499 Squamous Cell Carcinomas per 100,000 people per year - which is equal to all forms of other major malignancies combined (bowel, bladder, breast, melanoma, brain, leukaemia etc).

When treated early the vast majority of Squamous Cell Carcinomas are not life-threatening.

When treated early the vast majority of Basal Cell Carcinomas are not life-threatening.

Basal Cell Carcinomas are malignant, abnormal, uncontrolled growths or lesions that arise in the skin’s basal cells, which line the deepest layer of the epidermis (the outermost layer of the skin).

The major risk factor for melanoma is the number of moles you have. The most important factor in survival is early diagnosis.

Melanoma is the fourth most common major malignancy in Australia, and we have the world's highest incidence along with New Zealand. Queensland has the highest incidence of any state in the world.

Melanoma is more commonly diagnosed in men than women. 1 in 17 Australians will get melanoma. This means in your life you will know several people who will be diagnosed with this disease.

Unfortunately, 1 out of every 120 Australians will die from it. You will know one or two of these people too. In 2016, it is estimated that 13,283 new cases of melanoma will be diagnosed in Australia, accounting for nearly 10% of major malignancy diagnoses. It’s estimated 1,774 will die.