Skin Cancer

If you have been diagnosed with skin cancer, it is completely reasonable to want a second opinion.

Recovery after skin cancer surgery is not usually about doing more. It is often about avoiding the things that interfere with healing.

People ask this question in two very different moods.

Sometimes, it’s curiosity. “My mum had a melanoma. Is that a thing?”

Other times, it’s fear. “My dad had skin cancer. I have freckles. Am I basically waiting my turn?”

A diagnosis of skin cancer naturally brings questions about treatment, recovery, and prognosis.

Most skin cancers develop over time rather than appearing suddenly.

That is part of what makes prevention important. The damage that leads to skin cancer often builds gradually through repeated ultraviolet exposure, sometimes over decades, before any visible signs appear on the skin.

If you have been told you have a basal cell carcinoma (BCC) or a squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), or you are waiting for results, you’re probably wondering what the difference is. They’re both called “skin cancer”, so it can sound as if they behave the same way. In reality, they start in different skin cells, and that changes how they tend to grow and how we treat them.

A white spot on the skin is easy to dismiss, especially if it is painless, small, or does not seem to change much at first.

Most people hear the phrase “skin cancer treatment” and assume there is a standard path.

Skin cancer is common, and the wording can get confusing. People talk about “types” as if there is a long list, but most cases fit into a few main groups.

It is a reasonable question. Most people expect cancer to hurt. Skin cancer does not always behave like that.

If you have been told you have skin cancer, or you are waiting for results, you’re probably wondering what “stage” means.

Some patients with basal cell carcinoma are told there's nothing more the NHS can offer.
Vismodegib is a targeted treatment that may help when other options have failed.
Learn who it’s for, how it works, and whether it might be right in your situation.