Pathology of malignant skin tumours

The incidence of malignant skin tumours has significantly increased in recent years. In addition to establishing a diagnosis, histopathological assessment of these tumours provide vital prognostic information which often inform decisions related to onward referral, optimal treatment and planning of follow-up care. Using the example of the three most common skin cancers (basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and malignant melanoma), this review outlines how the contents of the histopathology reports influence patient management. Particular emphasis is given to highlight histologic parameters which are directly linked to a specific management issue. Unravelling the molecular pathogenesis of some of these tumours has paved the way for development of novel molecular targeted therapies in recent years. It is hoped that this article will familiarize the reader with some of these recent developments and also improve their overall understanding of the role of pathology in a multidisciplinary team setting towards management of cancer patients.