Skin Cancer

Skin Cancer - Cancer that begins in the tissues of the skin. Skin cancer develops in the epidermis, which is the upper or outer layer of the skin. There are three main types of skin cancer: squamous cell carcinoma (which occurs in thin, flat squamous cells that line the top layer of the epidermis), basal cell carcinoma (which occurs in small, round basal cells that line the base of the epidermis), and melanoma (which occurs in pigment-producing melanocyte cells found in the lower part of the epidermis). Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. The primary cause of skin cancer is prolonged exposure to sunlight. 

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