The most common form of cancer in both men and women is skin cancer.  It is estimated over 1 million people get some form of skin cancer every year.

The two most common types of skin cancer are

- basal cell cancer is a type of cancer that begins in a basal cell, which is located at the bottom of the skin’s epidermis.¬† This form of cancer affects 800,000 Americans every year. The good news is that it has a 95% cure rate.

- squamous cell cancer is a type of cancer that begins in a squamous cell, which is a thin, flat cell of the surfaces of the skin as well as linings of organs. This form of cancer affects 200,000 American each year and also has a high cure rate.

The most important way to lower the risk of basal and squamous cell skin cancers is to limit your exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation.

Skin cancer usually forms on the head, face, neck, hands and arms.

Melanoma, which is the deadliest form of skin cancer, resulted in 8420 deaths and was diagnosed in 62,480 new cases in 2008 according to the National Cancer Institute. Melanoma is a cancer which originates in cells that make the pigment melanin. It most commonly begins in a mole (skin melanoma). There are other pigmented tissues in the eye or in the intestines. Melanoma is becoming more common and is thought to caused when ultraviolet radiation in sunlight damages DNA in skin cells. Overexposure to the sun caused genetic changes in skin cells which can cause cancer.

For More information:

http://www.skincancer.org/

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/skincancer.html

For latest research on melanoma, you can reference

http://www.nih.gov/news/health/mar2009/nhgri-29.htm