Basal cell carcinoma is the most common type of skin cancer, and it’s not even close. About 8 out of every 10 non-melanoma skin cancers are basal cell carcinomas, making it far more prevalent than any other form. Roughly 5.4 million basal cell and squamous cell skin cancers are diagnosed each year in the United States alone, occurring in about 3.3 million people (since some people develop more than one). Melanoma, the type most people fear, accounts for only about 1% of all skin cancer cases.
How the Three Main Types Compare
Skin cancer breaks down into three main categories, and they differ sharply in how common they are, how they behave, and how dangerous they become.
Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) makes up roughly 80% of non-melanoma skin cancers. It grows slowly, rarely spreads to other parts of the body, and has a 5-year relative survival rate of 100%. That doesn’t mean it’s harmless. Left untreated, BCC can grow deep into surrounding tissue, damaging nerves, bone, and muscle. But it almost never becomes life-threatening.
Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the second most common type, accounting for most of the remaining non-melanoma cases. SCC is more aggressive than BCC. It spreads to lymph nodes in an estimated 3.7% to 5.2% of cases, and its 5-year relative survival rate is about 95%. That gap between 100% and 95% reflects real risk, particularly for tumors on the lips, ears, or in people with weakened immune systems.
Melanoma is the rarest of the three but causes the large majority of skin cancer deaths. It develops in the pigment-producing cells of the skin and is far more likely to metastasize than either BCC or SCC.
What Basal Cell Carcinoma Looks Like
BCC doesn’t always look like what people picture when they think “skin cancer.” On lighter skin, it often appears as a shiny, pearly white or pink bump that’s slightly translucent. You might notice tiny blood vessels running through it. On brown or Black skin, the same bump tends to look brown or glossy black. These spots can bleed, scab over, and then seem to heal before opening up again.
Not all BCCs look like bumps, though. Some appear as flat, scaly patches with or without a raised edge. Others resemble a white, waxy, scar-like area with no clearly defined border. A brown, black, or blue lesion with dark spots and a slightly raised, translucent edge is another common presentation. The variety in appearance is one reason BCC goes unnoticed for so long.
What Squamous Cell Carcinoma Looks Like
SCC tends to look rougher and more textured than BCC. It commonly shows up as a firm bump (or nodule) that can be skin-colored, pink, red, brown, or black depending on your skin tone. A flat sore with a scaly crust is another hallmark, as is a rough, scaly patch on the lip that may develop into an open sore. Some SCCs look wart-like.
A useful rule of thumb: any sore or scab that hasn’t healed in about two months, or any flat scaly patch that won’t go away, is worth getting checked. SCC can also develop inside the mouth or on mucous membranes, which makes it easy to overlook.
Why Sun Exposure Matters Differently for Each Type
UV radiation is the primary driver of both BCC and SCC, but the pattern of exposure matters more than people realize. SCC is strongly tied to cumulative, lifelong sun exposure, which is why it frequently appears on the face, ears, neck, and backs of the hands in people who have spent decades outdoors.
BCC has a more complicated relationship with UV light. Research shows that intermittent, intense sun exposure (the kind that causes sunburns) increases BCC risk in a pattern similar to melanoma. The number of sunburns matters too: BCC risk climbs with each additional sunburn, whether those burns happened in childhood or adulthood. This helps explain why BCC sometimes appears on the trunk or legs, areas that get occasional intense sun but aren’t exposed every day.
Treatment and Cure Rates
Both BCC and SCC are highly treatable when caught early. The specific approach depends on the tumor’s size, location, and depth, but options range from simple excision to a specialized technique called Mohs surgery, where a surgeon removes tissue one thin layer at a time and examines each layer under a microscope before continuing. For new skin cancers, Mohs surgery has a cure rate up to 99%. For cancers that have come back after previous treatment, the rate is around 95%.
Smaller, superficial tumors are sometimes treated with freezing, scraping, topical medications, or radiation. The experience for most patients is an outpatient procedure with local anesthesia and a relatively short recovery. Scarring depends on the tumor’s size and location, but dermatologists generally prioritize removing the cancer completely while preserving as much healthy tissue as possible.
Treatment becomes more complex when SCC has spread to lymph nodes, which is why early detection makes such a meaningful difference for squamous cell cases in particular.
Who Needs Regular Skin Checks
For most people, a professional skin exam every few years is sufficient. But if you’ve had any prior skin cancer, whether BCC, SCC, or melanoma, dermatologists recommend at least an annual visit to monitor for recurrence or new cancers. Having one BCC significantly raises the odds of developing another: about 30% to 50% of people who’ve had one will develop a second within five years.
Between professional exams, checking your own skin monthly helps you catch changes early. You’re looking for new bumps, sores that won’t heal, patches that are scaly or shiny, and any spot that bleeds repeatedly. BCC and SCC both tend to appear on sun-exposed areas, but they can develop anywhere, including places that rarely see sunlight.