Staging
The stage of a cancer describes its size and whether it has spread. Basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) rarely need staging because they don’t often spread or have other high-risk features. A small number of squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) may need staging – because of where it is, how big it is or because it has spread.
Usually a biopsy is the only information a doctor needs to stage skin cancer. The doctor may also feel the lymph nodes near the skin cancer to check for swelling. This may be a sign that the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes. Rarely, some people will have imaging scans to help with staging. For more information about this, talk to your doctor.
Prognosis
Prognosis means the expected outcome of a disease. Your treating doctor is the best person to talk to about your prognosis. Most BCCs and SCCs are successfully treated, especially when found early. If the skin cancer is large, deep, in a difficult place, has spread to nerves or lymph nodes, or if you have a weakened immune system, you may be treated by a multidisciplinary team (MDT). This group of health professionals can confirm the best treatment approach, including access to clinical trials.
Being told you have cancer can cause a range of emotions. You can talk to your doctor, ask to see a counsellor or call Cancer Council 13 11 20.
Learn more about the different types of skin cancer.
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All updated content has been clinically reviewed by Prof Victoria Mar, Director, Victorian Melanoma Service, Alfred Hospital and Monash University, VIC and Prof Anne Cust, Acting Director, The Daffodil Centre, The University of Sydney and Cancer Council NSW, and faculty member, Melanoma Institute Australia. This edition is based on the previous edition, which was reviewed by the following panel: Prof Victoria Mar (see above); Tracey Bilson, Consumer; Raelene Buchan, Consumer; Alison Button-Sloan, Consumer; Dr Margaret Chua, Radiation Oncologist, and the Skin Radiation Oncology team, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, VIC; Prof Anne Cust, (see above); A/Prof Paul Fishburn, Skin Cancer Doctor, Norwest Skin Cancer Centre, NSW and Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland; Danielle Goss, Melanoma Clinical Nurse Specialist, Amie St Clair Melanoma (part of Melanoma Institute Australia), Wagga Wagga, NSW; Louise Pellerade, 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council WA; Dr Shireen Sidhu, Head of Dermatology, The Royal Adelaide Hospital, SA; Dr Amelia Smit, Research Fellow – Melanoma and Skin Cancer, The Daffodil Centre, The University of Sydney and Cancer Council NSW; Dr Tony Tonks, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon, Canberra Plastic Surgery, ACT. We also thank the health professionals, consumers and editorial teams who have worked on previous editions of this title. Thanks also to Sydney Melanoma Diagnostic Centre for providing the dysplastic naevus photograph on page 11, A/Prof Paul Fishburn for providing the sunspot photograph on page 10, A/Prof Andrew Miller for providing the age spot photograph on page 10, and Prof H Peter Soyer for providing the other photographs on pages 9–11.
View the Cancer Council NSW editorial policy.
