What is the most common type of skin cancer?

• A. Basal cell
• B. Melanoma
• C. Atypical nevi
• D. Squamous cell

Answer: (A)

Basal cell carcinoma is the most common skin cancer. It arises from the basal cells of the epidermis and is driven by UV-induced mutations that accumulate with sun exposure over time. Because these basal cells are constantly renewing and are highly susceptible to UV damage, they repeatedly give rise to tumors, leading to a high overall incidence. These cancers grow slowly and tend to invade locally rather than spread to distant sites, which explains why you see many cases but relatively few metastases. In contrast, squamous cell carcinoma is the next most common non-melanoma skin cancer and melanoma, though less common, can be much more dangerous due to a higher risk of metastasis. So the most common type is basal cell carcinoma.