There are different types of skin cancer because the skin is made up of different types of cells: basal cells, squamous cells and melanocytes.
Sometimes skin cells undergo changes that make their growth or behavioral modes abnormal. These changes can cause non-cancerous, or benign lesions or can sometimes lead to cancer.
Some changes in the basal cells can give rise to basal cell carcinoma (BCC) of the skin or basalioma.
Similarly, some changes in the squamous cells may generate a squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the skin or epidermoid carcinoma.
When changes occur in melanocytes, the cells that make melanin, the pigment responsible for skin color, a melanoma can form.
Melanoma is a malignant tumor, less common than basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, but more dangerous because it can spread to other parts of the body and metastasize. In fact, basal cell carcinoma rarely metastasizes, while squamous cell carcinoma may also metastasize, but not often.
Other rarer types of skin cancer other than those listed here may also occur.
For more information about skin cancer, visit the Swiss League against Cancer's (FR)
The program for skin cancer provides the patient with:
- multidisciplinary and fast support
- cutting-edge expertise gathered for diagnosis (dermatopathology, genetics, radiology, nuclear medicine)
- cutting-edge expertise for therapeutic support (oncodermatology, oncology, radiooncology, plastic surgery)
- innovative treatments within the scope of clinical studies
- regular multidisciplinary monitoring during and after treatment.