Skin
 
Jill R. Slater-Freedberg, MD, and Kenneth A. Arndt, MD 
Adapted for the Canadian edition by Cheryl Rosen, MD 

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer found in humans. An estimated 60,800 cases are diagnosed in Canada each year, and the number is growing by 3.4 percent a year. One in every three new cancers is a skin cancer. It is estimated that 40 to 50 percent of fair-skinned people who live to be 65 years old will have at least one skin cancer ( see also "Melanoma" ). Ten years ago, skin cancer was unusual in those under 40, but now it is seen regularly in younger people. It is not uncommon in people in their twenties.
    The most prevalent types of skin cancer—basal cell and squamous cell—are two to three times more common in men than in women. Both are almost always curable.

Types  Basal cell cancer (BCC) is the most common form of all skin cancers, affecting more than 40,000 people each year. It develops in the outermost layer of the skin, the epidermis, on hair-bearing surfaces. The appearance of BCC can vary considerably.