INTRODUCTION: Melanoma is a malignancy in which cancererous cells form in the skin cells called melanocytes (cells that color the skin). It may also happen in the eye and is called intraocular or ocular melanoma; however it can occur any place on the body. It is the most dangerous of the common types of skin cancer and frequently appears as an enlarging coloured skin spot, usually occuring in adults, but it is occasionly found in children and adolescents. The disease is more aggressive than basal cell skin cancer or squamous cell skin cancer.

Skin cancer is an increasingly common disease. This is probably due to a combination of more research into the disease leading to greater public awareness of the issue. And environmental and behavioral conditions changing in contemporary life. Skin cancer is broken down into three types - Basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma. Squamous cell carcinoma is the second most common type of skin cancer. This article will discuss spotting squamous skin cancer and common characteristics of the disease.