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There are other less common types of skin cancer. Together, they account for only 1 in 100 new cases of skin cancer in the UK. These skin cancers are treated differently to the three types of skin cancer we cover in this section.
Merkel cell carcinoma
This is a rare, but dangerous neuroendocrine tumour of the skin. It looks like a round lump or swelling, usually on the head or neck, or other sun-exposed sights. It usually affects people over 60, and it is much more common in white people.
The National Cancer Institute of the USA has information about Merkel Cell Carcinoma. Remember that treatment practices abroad, and the commonness of specific cancers in other countries, may differ to the UK.
Kaposi’s sarcoma
Kaposi’s sarcoma is the name for a tumour that usually starts in the dermis layer of the skin, but can also form in the internal organs. Before the 1980s, it was extremely rare, and found mostly in elderly people of Mediterranean descent. Since then, it has become more common because it tends to develop in people who are HIV positive or who have developed AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome).
Macmillan Cancer Support has information about Kaposi’s sarcoma.
T cell lymphoma of the skin
T cell lymphoma of the skin is the most common type of primary cutaneous lymphoma or skin lymphoma. It is also sometimes called mycosis fungoides. It is a type of cancer that starts mostly or entirely in the skin. It occurs when the white blood cells that protect us from infections (called lymphocytes) start to grow uncontrollably within the skin. In the beginning it often looks similar to psoriasis or eczema, and then it gradually becomes thicker. The cause is not known. The condition has a variety of treatments, and can usually be controlled.
Macmillan Cancer Support has information about it under the name Cutaneous T cell lymphoma in its section on Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
The charity Cancer Research UK has information about T cell lymphoma of the skin in its section on Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
Sarcoma
Sarcomas are a type of cancerous tumour that can develop in various parts of the body. Sarcoma of the skin develops in the deep tissue of the skin. A tumour may grow in the nerves, blood vessels, lymph vessels or connective tissue or, most often, in the fat layer. The general term for this group of cancers is soft tissue sarcoma.
The American Cancer Society has information about soft tissue sarcoma.
The National Cancer Institute of the USA has information about soft tissue sarcoma.
Remember that treatment practices abroad, and the commonness of specific cancers in other countries, may differ to the UK.
