Clark’s level is a system used in pathology reports to describe how far a skin cancer, such as invasive squamous cell carcinoma or invasive melanoma, has spread into the skin. It’s an important factor in determining the severity and potential behaviour of the tumour. The system consists of five levels, each indicating how deeply the tumour has penetrated through …
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Bowen’s disease is another name for squamous cell carcinoma in situ of the skin, a very early form of skin cancer. It begins in squamous cells, the flat cells that make up the outer layer of the skin, called the epidermis. In Bowen’s disease, the cancer cells are still confined to the epidermis and have …
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Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is one of the most common types of skin cancer. It starts from squamous cells, the flat cells that normally form the outermost layer of the skin (the epidermis). In invasive SCC, the cancer cells have broken through the epidermis and grown into the deeper layers of the skin. Pathologists call …
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Basosquamous carcinoma is a type of skin cancer. It is an uncommon, higher-risk form of basal cell carcinoma, the most common skin cancer. What makes basosquamous carcinoma different is that, in addition to the usual features of basal cell carcinoma, it also shows features of a second type of skin cancer called squamous cell carcinoma. …
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Solar elastosis is a non-cancerous skin condition caused by excessive and long-term exposure to sunlight or other sources of ultraviolet (UV) radiation. It is also known as actinic elastosis or photoaging. Doctors consider solar elastosis a clear sign of sun damage, which occurs after years of sun exposure. What causes solar elastosis? Solar elastosis is …
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A dysplastic nevus — also called an atypical mole or an atypical melanocytic nevus — is a non-cancerous skin growth made up of melanocytes, the cells that produce the pigment melanin. Dysplastic nevi differ from common moles because the melanocytes are arranged in an irregular pattern and look slightly abnormal under the microscope. Despite these …
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Melanocytes are a type of cell found in the skin and other body parts. These cells produce melanin, the pigment that gives colour to your skin, hair, and eyes. Melanocytes play an important role in protecting your skin from the harmful effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation. What is their function? The primary function of melanocytes …
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Melanoma in situ is an early, non-invasive form of skin cancer that arises from melanocytes, the cells that produce melanin. In healthy skin, melanocytes sit in a neat row at the bottom of the epidermis — the thin outer layer of the skin. In melanoma in situ, these cells have become cancerous and have grown in abnormal …
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Merkel cell carcinoma is a rare type of skin cancer. It is a kind of neuroendocrine tumor, meaning it develops from neuroendocrine cells in the skin. Neuroendocrine cells are specialized cells that send signals by releasing chemical messengers in response to nerve activity. Merkel cell carcinoma tends to grow quickly and is more likely to …
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Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) is a rare type of skin cancer that starts in the dermis — the thick middle layer of the skin. It belongs to a broader family of cancers called sarcomas, which arise from connective tissue (the supportive framework that gives the skin and other organs their shape and strength). DFSP most often …
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