BCC is the most common type of skin cancer, making up more than 75% of all skin cancers. They develop from the basal (bottom) layer of the epidermis. BCCs are slow growing. They rarely spread to other parts of the body, and are almost always completely cured by treatment. However, if left untreated, BCCs have the potential to invade and destroy the surrounding skin and tissues.

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the second most common forms of skin cancer, and accounts for up to 30% of skin cancers.

It starts from cells in the outermost layer of the skin which start to overgrow and potentially spread. SCC can also start from cells on the lips, tongue, lining of the mouth and genitals.

Melanoma occurs mainly due to too much exposure to sunlight or UV radiation but it may also occur in places that have never seen the sun.  This may be due to families passing down faulty genes that make moles develop into melanoma or for melanomas to form where there haven’t been any moles.

The sun’s ultraviolet (UV) radiation is the best natural source of vitamin D. However, too much UV exposure from the sun and other sources, such as solariums, is a major cause of sunburn, premature ageing, eye damage and skin damage leading to skin cancer including melanoma.

If you have been diagnosed with skin cancer, we at Skin Cancer Tasmania believe the biggest gift we can give is to provide you with a link to others who have been affected by this disease

A collection of stories from our community who have been affected by skin cancer