| Sumario: | Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer (Martinez, Otley, 2001) with an incidence rate that has quadrupled over the past 30 years, higher than any of the top cancers in the UK (Skin Cancer UK, 2013). Multidisciplinary efforts both in primary and hospital-based settings are required to promote effective strategies for prevention, diagnosis as well as treatment (Martinez, Otley, 2001; Skin Cancer UK, 2013). Treatment usually has 3 main goals: early detection, complete eradication, and the preservation or restoration of form and function (Martinez, Otley, 2001). This is where the role of the sub-speciality plastic surgeon/skin cancer surgeon in the multidisciplinary team is key. The aim of this article is to give an overview and some insight into the role of the skin cancer plastic surgeon, to outline commonly and rarely performed procedures, and to provide a description of the post-operative course that the patient is likely to encounter if surgery is undertaken. The more common forms of cancers are discussed in this article, which are basal cell carcinomas (BCC), squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) and melanomas (MM).
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