What is the difference between a melanoma and a non-melanoma?
What is the difference between a melanoma and a non-melanoma?
What is the Difference Between Melanoma and Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer? Nonmelanoma skin cancer can refer to any cancer that forms in the basal, squamous or Merkel cells of the skin. Melanoma is a cancer that develops in the skin’s melanocytes.
Is melanoma or non-melanoma worse?
Melanoma is much less common than some other types of skin cancer. But melanoma is more dangerous because it’s much more likely to spread to other parts of the body if not caught and treated early.
Is non-melanoma skin cancer malignant?
Non-melanoma skin cancer starts in the cells of the skin. A cancerous (malignant) growth is a group of cancer cells that can grow into and destroy nearby tissue. It can also spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body, but this is rare with non-melanoma skin cancer.
Is non-melanoma skin cancer fatal?
Survival for most non-melanoma skin cancers is excellent. The 5-year relative survival for BCC is 100%. This means that, on average, all of the people diagnosed with BCC are just as likely to live at least 5 years after their diagnosis as people in the general population.
What does non melanoma look like?
Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) usually appears as a small, shiny pink or pearly-white lump with a translucent or waxy appearance. It can also look like a red, scaly patch. There’s sometimes some brown or black pigment within the patch.
Is non-melanoma skin cancer benign?
Most skin tumors are benign (not cancerous) and rarely if ever turn into cancers. There are many kinds of benign skin tumors, including: Most types of moles (see Melanoma Skin Cancer for more about moles)
How fast does non-melanoma skin cancer grow?
It is usually a slow-growing cancer. It develops over many years. The two most common types of this cancer are mycosis fungoides and the Sezary syndrome.
Can non-melanoma skin cancer turn into melanoma?
Basal cell carcinoma does not progress into melanoma. Each is a separate and distinct type of skin cancer. Basal cell carcinoma is the most common form of skin cancer and one of two major nonmelanoma skin cancer types (the other is squamous cell carcinoma).
