The Nikon MicroscopyU confocal microscopy image gallery was created with a PCM-2000 confocal scanning system interfaced to a Nikon Eclipse E600 upright microscope. Images were recorded in successive z-axis serial sections with C-Imaging Systems software with excitation illumination provided by an argon-ion and/or a helium-neon laser.

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Trying to achieve that perfect tan at the beach can cause a perfect problem for your skin, and potentially your life, skin cancer. A common form of skin cancer (90 percent of the cases), basal cell carcinoma may grow slowly at first, but like other malignant cancer cells, can spread to other parts of the body (metastasize). It is estimated that 500,000 new cases of this type of non-melanoma skin cancer occur in the United States each year with about 2,000 deaths annually.

One cannot be sure if a suspicious growth, typically on the ears, nose, neck, forehead, arms or other exposed body part not covered well with sunblock, is a basal cell carcinoma or not without a biopsy. A biopsy only removes the "tip of the iceberg" for diagnosis and does not remove the entire cancer mass. If positive, the skin may heal and without treatment, the cancer, which is no longer visible, may grow deep and cause major health problems.

The sun damage from ultraviolet radiation responsible for this type of skin cancer often occurs many years before the unusual skin growth appears, usually during a severe burn, and is irreversible. Fair-skinned people are more likely to get skin cancer than darker people and people of African descent almost never get basal cell carcinoma. Prevention including avoiding direct sunlight, use of sunblocks of sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher, and use of clothes and hats to cover exposed skin is the best cure. Often people that have a basal cell carcinoma removed develop additional ones in the same area since the sun damaged the skin in that region, not just one cell. Surgery with a scalpel is the usual treatment for these types of tumors, but cryotherapy using liquid nitrogen, laser surgery, radiation treatment, and interferon injections show promise. According to dermatologists, when properly diagnosed and treated, success is approximately 95 percent.