Skin cancers are named for the type of cells that become cancerous
The two most common types of skin cancer are basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. These cancers typically develop on areas of the body that are frequently exposed to the sun, such as the head, face, neck, hands, and arms. However, skin cancer can occur on any part of the body.
Basal cell carcinoma tends to grow slowly and primarily affects areas of the skin that have been exposed to the sun, most commonly the face. It rarely spreads to other parts of the body.
Squamous cell carcinoma also develops on sun-exposed skin but can also occur in areas not typically exposed to sunlight. This type of cancer may spread to nearby lymph nodes and internal organs.
When skin cancer spreads from its original location to other parts of the body, the new growth retains the same type of abnormal cells and is still classified as skin cancer.