Melanoma is responsible for what percentage of skin cancers and is known for being most lethal?

• A. 4% of skin cancers; most lethal; rapidly grows
• B. 80% of skin cancers; slow growing
• C. 16% of skin cancers; crusted
• D. 50% of skin cancers; moderate growth

Answer: (A)

Melanoma is relatively uncommon compared with other skin cancers, but it is the most lethal because it has a high potential to metastasize early. It accounts for only a small fraction of skin cancers—around 4% in many summaries—yet it causes the majority of skin cancer deaths. This combination comes from its tendency to grow and spread quickly, which makes early detection and treatment crucial. In contrast, basal cell carcinoma is the most common skin cancer and rarely spreads, while squamous cell carcinoma is more common than melanoma but still less deadly than melanoma. The other statements misstate how common melanoma is and how aggressively it behaves.