Malignant epithelial tumors

Abstract

Malignant tumors of the skin are the most common type of cancer in humans. Basal cell carcinomas are dealt with in another chapter (chapter "Basal Cell Carcinoma"), whereas the other epithelial malignant tumors are considered here. The causes of skin cancer are manifold and include genetic factors such as reduced DNA repair capacity, exogenous carcinogenic factors (mainly ultraviolet radiation), but also various human papilloma viruses (HPV), chemical carcinogens, ionizing radiation, and immunosuppression. Individual factors, such as skin color, thickness of the stratum corneum, immune status or chronic inflammatory diseases of the skin, can be further risk factors.