Skin cancers are generally divided in to Non-melanoma skin cancers and Melanoma skin cancers.

Non melanoma skin cancers include basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and some rarer types.

Melanomas behave differently.

There are several different types of non-melanoma skin cancer. The most common are basal cell skin cancer (BCC) and squamous cell skin cancers (SCC). These cancers develop from cells found in the epidermis.

Skin cancers can grow slowly and it can take some years before a cancer is noticed. But sometimes a skin cancer can grow very quickly, within a few months.

Around 131,000 cases of non melanoma skin cancer are diagnosed in the UK each year, making it the most common type of cancer by far.