Most people are unfamiliar with the different types of skin cancer. We may confuse basal, squamous, and melanoma thinking of them as variations of the same disease — but they’re not. In dermatology, we’re constantly asked questions like, “Will this basal cell turn into melanoma?” As far as skin cancers go, basal cell carcinoma and melanoma are polar opposites.
Whether you’re dealing with a recent skin cancer diagnosis for yourself... 
Squamous cell carcinoma is the second most common skin cancer. Think of it as the middle child of skin cancers — it’s not the same as basal cell carcinoma (the most common), and it’s not as unpredictable as melanoma (the third most common). In fact, a lot of people gloss over it altogether.
But squamous cell carcinoma is nothing to ignore. In fact, the more you know about it, the better your chances of preventing and treating it.
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What do you think of when you hear about melanoma?For most people, assumptions about melanoma are bleak, to say the least. As the third most common skin cancer, melanoma can be scary for the layperson because of the grim prognosis it often carries. Melanoma accounts for about 1% of all skin cancers but causes the majority of skin cancer deaths. And the rates of melanoma are rising. Depending on ethnicity, the lifetime risk of getting melanoma is as hi... 