Which form of skin cancer is considered the most serious?

• A. Basal cell carcinoma
• B. Squamous cell carcinoma
• C. Melanoma
• D. Merkel cell carcinoma

Answer: (C)

Melanoma is the form of skin cancer with the greatest risk of spreading and death. It begins in pigment-producing melanocytes and can invade nearby tissue and travel to lymph nodes and distant organs early, which makes it far more dangerous as it progresses. Prognosis depends heavily on how deeply the cancer has grown (Breslow thickness) and whether it has ulceration; catching it early and removing it with surgery offers the best chance of cure. Basal cell carcinoma tends to grow slowly and rarely spreads, so it’s typically highly curable with local treatment. Squamous cell carcinoma can metastasize in some cases but is generally less deadly than melanoma. Merkel cell carcinoma is very aggressive and can spread quickly, but it is rarer, and melanoma still carries the highest overall risk of mortality among skin cancers.