ABSTRACT
Non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSC) are the most prevalent of neoplasms. The most common types, basal cell and cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas, are rarely metastatic, although they have the capacity to spread and be fatal. In many countries the incidence of NMSC is increasing exponentially and a better understanding of the factors contributing to the rise is essential to preventing morbidity and mortality. This chapter explores the epidemiology of NMSC and the critical environmental drivers of disease. It focusses on basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma aetiology specifically, with a brief discussion of rarer non-melanoma skin cancers.
