Cancer can develop in the cells of the skin. Skin cancers are named after the type of cell they start from. Basal cell cancer and squamous cell cancer are the two most common types of skin cancer. They are sometimes called non-melanoma skin cancer because they don't develop from melanocytic cells.The third type of skin cancer is melanoma, which begins in the melanocytes.
Other spots that aren't skin cancer can also appear.
View all 5 different types of Cancer
The Cancer Council of Victoria is alarmed by the latest figures showing a big jump in the number of Victorians affected by skin cancer.
Skin cancer has now overtaken lung cancer as the fourth most common form of the disease in Victoria.
Kylie Strong from the SunSmart campaign says the increase is largely related to people over the age of 60.
But she says the 2005 figures could be a sign of things to come.
"Over 2000 Victorians were diagnosed with melanoma and this represents an increase of nearly 400 cases from the previous years' figures," she said.
"We suspect that these trends of these high rates of melanoma are going to continue."
Cancer can develop in the cells of the skin. Skin cancers are named after the type of cell they start from. Basal cell cancer and squamous cell cancer are the two most common types of skin cancer. They are sometimes called non-melanoma skin cancer because they don't develop from melanocytic cells.
The third type of skin cancer is melanoma, which begins in the melanocytes.
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