Update on non-melanoma skin cancer and the value of dermoscopy in its diagnosis and treatment monitoring

Abstract

Dermoscopy has become an integrative part of the clinical examination of skin tumors. This is because it significantly improves the early diagnosis of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) including basal cell carcinoma and keratinocyte skin cancer compared with the unaided eye. Besides its value in the noninvasive diagnosis of skin cancer, dermoscopy has also gained increased interest in the management of NMSC. Dermoscopy has been used in the preoperative evaluation of tumor margins, monitoring of the outcomes of topical treatments and post-treatment follow-up. This article provides an update on NMSC with special emphasis on dermoscopy in the diagnosis and management of basal cell carcinoma, actinic keratosis, Bowens’ disease and squamous cell carcinoma.