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...Your immune system is your body's defense against cells that are not normal. These could be cells infected with a virus, infectious bacteria, or fungal cells, or they could be...

...Merkel cells are in the top layer of the skin, close to the nerve endings for the sense of touch. Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) develops when Merkel cells grow out...

...Kaposi sarcoma skin cancer (KS) develops when the cells lining the blood and lymph vessels grow in an uncontrolled way. KS is rare in the United States and strongly associated...

...Kaposi sarcoma (KS) is a rare cancer. It develops in the cells that line the lymph vessels and blood vessels and usually causes skin lesions. In the United States today...

...The goals of skin cancer treatment are to remove the tumor and kill any other cancer cells that may cause it to recur or spread. Treatment is selected based on...

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...Cancer cells are different from normal cells. Many cancer cells have mutations that cause them to grow and survive when normal cells would not. Cancer develops when there are harmful...

...Fact: Tanned skin is damaged skin. There is no such thing as a healthy or safe tan. In our culture, we associate a tan with health and beauty. We’ve learned...

...You’ve come to the right place! Get answers to the most frequently asked questions about the inner workings of SkinCancer.net, as well as the organization that powers it all –...

...While there is no perfect way to prevent all skin cancers, there are steps you can take to reduce your risk. Oftentimes, many risk factors are uncontrollable, such as gender...

...Lymph node biopsy is a procedure done to see whether skin cancer has spread. Tissue from the lymph nodes is studied under a microscope to see whether it contains cancer...

...Some lesions are obviously suspicious for melanoma. Perhaps they have typical features of melanoma. Maybe they are obviously different from the normal lesions around them. In such cases, the decision...

...A skin biopsy is a procedure in which your doctor removes a sample of skin tissue. The sample is sent to a laboratory. A pathologist will examine it under a...

...“You cannot diagnose what you cannot see.” This quote, from a training course for dermatologists, summarizes a total body skin exam. A total body skin cancer physical exam is a...

...You noticed an unusual mole or lesion on your skin and made an appointment with your doctor to have it checked. Before examining your skin, your doctor will ask questions...

...Cancer screening means checking for cancer before you have any symptoms. Nearly 20% of US adults have been screened at least once for skin cancer. Skin cancer is easier to...

...More than 40% of melanomas are found by patients themselves. Nearly all adults have harmless moles, freckles, and spots on their skin. Skin self exams help you become familiar with...

...Untreated melanoma grows downward into deeper layers of skin. It may enter the lymph vessels and spread to distant parts of the body. The term for the spread of cancer...