skin cancer is the term that is used for all bad forms of growth of the skin. in everyday use, people often talk about melanoma, but there are other forms of skin cancer, too. these are usually named after the type of cell that grows uncontrollably. most skin cancers develop in the epidermis. very often a tumor can be seen, so it is often possible to detect skin cancer at an early stage. very few people with skin cancer will die of the disease., though it can be disfiguring. melanoma survival rates are poorer than for non-melanoma skin cancer, although when melanoma is diagnosed at an early stage, treatment is easier and more people survive.