Skip to main content
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

Skin Cancer Institute

Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer. It usually forms in skin that has been exposed to sunlight, but can occur anywhere on the body.

There are several different types of skin cancer. Squamous cell and basal cell skin cancers are sometimes called nonmelanoma skin cancers. Nonmelanoma skin cancer usually responds to treatment and rarely spreads to other parts of the body. Melanoma is more aggressive than most other types of skin cancer. If it isn’t diagnosed early, it is likely to invade nearby tissues and spread to other parts of the body. The number of cases of melanoma is increasing each year. Only 2 percent of all skin cancers are melanoma, but it causes most deaths from skin cancer.

Rare types of skin cancer include Merkel cell carcinoma, skin lymphoma and Kaposi sarcoma.

Find more information via the link below, or choose a specific skin cancer type to the right. We also treat basal cell carcinoma, ocular malignancies and squamous cell carcinoma.

Learn more about skin cancer

Our Experts

Our experts work together in a multidisciplinary team (including dedicated, talented nursing staff and Lurie Cancer Center’s Supportive Oncology Team) to help create a comprehensive, individualized treatment plan and provide you with exceptional support. Get to know our physicians and the many other experts who will play an important role in your care.

meet the experts

Clinical Trials

The Lurie Cancer Center is typically involved in more than 300 clinical trials at a given time, covering a broad range of subjects that may be relevant to your diagnosis. Browse our clinical trials to participate and help test new treatments.

find a related clinical trial

Patient Support

We offer a number of services to help patients and their families cope with the challenges of cancer treatment.

see all our support services

Featured Programs

DermPath Second Opinion Service

The Skin Cancer Institute and Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine Department of Dermatology offer the DermPath Second Opinion Service to provide timely second opinion pathology evaluations of tissue samples for outside physicians, pathologists and patients.

learn more

Researcher looking through microscope
Your support takes our research further.Donate & Volunteer