Non melanoma skin cancer

Survival for non melanoma skin cancer

The cure rates for non melanoma skin cancers are very high. But in a small number of people, the skin cancer can come back and you might need more treatment.

There are different types of non melanoma skin cancer. The most common types are:

basal cell carcinoma (BCC)
squamous cell carcinoma (SCC)

Find out more about these types of non melanoma skin cancers

About these statistics

The terms 1 year survival and 5 year survival don't mean that you will only live for 1 or 5 years.

The NHS, other health organisations, and researchers collect information. They record what happens to people with cancer in the years after their diagnosis. 5 years is a common time point to measure survival. But some people live much longer than this.

5 year survival is the number of people who have not died from their cancer within 5 years after diagnosis.

Survival for basal cell carcinoma

Doctors can almost always cure (BCC). It is extremely rare for BCC to spread to another area of the body. So people almost never die from this type of cancer.

In a small number of people the cancer can come back in the skin and they need further treatment.

Survival for squamous cell carcinoma

Doctors can cure most people with skin (SCC).

A small number of people might have SCC that has spread to the or to other parts of the body. This may still be cured.

There are no UK-wide statistics available for survival of skin SCC. Survival statistics are available for skin SCC survival in England. These figures are for men and women diagnosed with their first SCC between 2014 and 2016. They do not include SCC that starts in the .

Generally for adults with skin SCC in England:

90 out of 100 people survive their cancer for 5 years or more

What affects your outlook

Your outcome depends on:

the size of the cancer
how deep it is
where it's growing on the body
how fast it's growing
the type of skin cancer it is

There is a slightly higher risk of the cancer coming back if your is weak for other medical reasons.

Your doctor is the best person to talk to if you have any questions about the risk of the cancer coming back or your overall prognosis.

Find out more about treating non melanoma skin cancer

Getting more information

Your doctor can give you more information about your own outlook (prognosis).

For support and information, you can call the Cancer Research UK information nurses on freephone 0808 800 4040, from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. They can give advice about who can help you and what kind of support is available.

Last reviewed: 24 Jul 2026

Next review due: 24 Jul 2029

About skin cancer

Non melanoma skin cancer includes basal cell skin cancer, squamous cell skin cancer and other rare types.

Stages and grades

The stage of cancer tells you its size and whether it has spread. The grade tells you how much the cancer cells look like normal cells.

Types of skin cancer

The 2 main types of non melanoma skin cancer are basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).

Getting diagnosed

See your GP if you are worried about or have symptoms of skin cancer. They will examine you and arrange for a biopsy if needed.

Skin cancer main page

Non melanoma skin cancer includes basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and other rare types. They tend to develop most often on skin that has been exposed to the sun.