Non-melanoma skin cancer of the head and neck

Abstract

Skin cancer is the most common malignancy in the world, and the majority of cases affect the skin of the head and neck. The face is a particularly emotive area for patients who often present with a lesion that is causing them concern. This article reviews the identification, diagnosis and principles of management of non-melanoma skin cancer of the head and neck. There are many lesions of the skin which are benign and mimic skin cancer. The differential of head and neck skin lesions and how to determine their nature is discussed. The vast majority of non-melanoma skin cancer are basal cell carcinoma, followed by squamous cell carcinoma. These and the other types of non-melanoma skin cancer are described and illustrated. Current methods of clinical identification, diagnosis and evaluation of skin cancers are clarified, and contemporary treatment paradigms are presented.

Keywords: Basal cell carcinoma; Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma; Keratoacanthoma; Merkel cell carcinoma; Non-melanoma skin cancer; Skin cancer.