Skin

Non-melanoma skin cancers are more common and develop in the upper layers of the skin. Non-melanoma skin cancers generally do not spread to other areas of the body. Melanoma is a more serious form of skin cancer that can spread to other organs in the body. Both non-melanoma and melanoma skin cancers are thought to be partially caused by exposure to UV light leading to abnormal development of skin cells.

Melanoma is generally diagnosed by taking a biopsy of a patient’s mole. If diagnosed at an early stage, the main treatment option is surgery. If the skin cancer is diagnosed at an advanced stage, treatment options are mainly used to control the spread of the cancer and reduce symptoms, such as chemotherapy.

A key focus of skin cancer research is early detection and diagnosis. This will help to prevent progression to more advanced stages of skin cancer and increases the likelihood of therapies being successful. In addition to this, one of the major challenges with melanoma skin cancer is that there is a risk of the cancer returning and becoming resistant to available treatments.

The rapidly changing research environment means that clinical guidelines for skin cancer are constantly changing. This highlights the importance for clinicians to stay up-to-date with the latest guidelines and workflows. In addition, it is crucial that patients are educated about treatment options and sequences available to their specific skin cancer, to be able to make informed decisions.
The articles in this section cover the latest from skin cancer from different perspectives including clinical, research and patient. Oncology Central features the latest breaking news, peer-reviewed research articles, expert opinion pieces and more. Topics covered include the management of skin cancer, early diagnosis and prevention, clinical guidelines and combatting recurrence and resistance.

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