Common Skin Cancer Locations

Basal Cell Carcinomas

Basal cell carcinomas usually occur on parts of the body that are often exposed to the sun. These are the face, neck, V-shaped area of the chest, and upper back. They occur less often on the top sides of the arms and hands.

• These tumours sometimes look like a sore or pimple that does not heal.
• They may ooze yellowish fluid, crust over with a scab, and then break down and ooze again.
• When the surrounding skin is stretched, a basal cell carcinoma has a pearly gray look, with tiny blood vessels often visible inside the tumour.

Squamous Cell Carcinomas

Squamous cell carcinomas also appear most often on the face and neck, V-shaped area of the chest, and upper back. They are more likely than basal cell carcinomas to form on the top of the arms and hands.

• Squamous cell carcinomas look like an inflamed (pinkish or reddish), scaly growth that feels sore or tender.
• Some may repeatedly break open, bleed, and crust – never fully healing.

Melanomas

For men, melanomas usually occurr of their backs, while women tend to also develop them on their legs as well.