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Clinical guidelines

Curated index of guidance relevant to skin oncology practice. UK national guidance (NICE, BAD, BSDS, BAPRAS, RCR, RCPath, NHS England) is the primary frame of reference, alongside European and international cross-references (ESMO, EADO, EORTC, WHO, NCCN) cited where they add material UK guidance does not. Links go to the primary source and open in a new tab; the monographs cross-reference these throughout. Publisher URLs occasionally change — if a link is broken, search the source organisation by guideline code (e.g. NICE NG14, TA837; RCPath G125).

New
Source-control register — the editorial provenance record for every guideline, NICE Technology Appraisal, NHS England commissioning policy, BAD guideline, RCPath dataset, staging framework and pivotal trial cited on the site, with publication date, what we use it for, and when we last verified it. Open the source-control register →

Guidance categories

UK skin cancer guidance comes from several distinct sources. They are not interchangeable — understanding which type applies tells you what level of authority a recommendation carries:

NICE
NICE clinical guidelines (NG) — statutory clinical guidance for England (e.g. NG14 melanoma, NG12 suspected cancer referral). Adopted across the devolved nations through equivalent processes.
NICE TA
NICE Technology Appraisals (TA) — binding NHS England funding decisions for individual drugs (e.g. TA837 adjuvant pembrolizumab, TA802 cemiplimab cSCC, TA691 avelumab MCC). NHS-commissioned where the appraisal is positive; if NICE has not recommended a drug, do not infer access from the TA code — any use needs a separate current national / local commissioning, trial, compassionate-use or IFR route.
BAD
British Association of Dermatologists (BAD) — specialty-society guidelines (e.g. BCC 2021, cSCC 2020, cutaneous lymphoma 2018/2019). Melanoma management is primarily NICE NG14 in current UK practice. Authoritative; frequently cited in NICE.
BSDS
British Society for Dermatological Surgery (BSDS) — surgical standards and Mohs micrographic surgery guidance.
BAPRAS
British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (BAPRAS) — reconstruction guidance and outcome standards.
RCPath
Royal College of Pathologists (RCPath) datasets — mandatory minimum data items for histopathology reports (e.g. G125 melanoma, G124 cSCC).
Local
Local Cancer Alliance / trust pathways — legitimate local variation in 2WW thresholds, follow-up cadence, drug pathways and MDT processes. Always check the local pathway for definitive practice.

Melanoma

Basal cell carcinoma

Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma

Merkel cell carcinoma

Cutaneous lymphoma

Sarcoma & mesenchymal tumours of the skin

Cancer-predisposition syndromes (skin-relevant)

Targeted therapies with NICE / HST recommendations relevant to inherited skin-oncology syndromes managed in skin-cancer MDTs (NF1, tuberous sclerosis, MEN2B).

Tuberous sclerosis systemic therapy and MEN2B RET-inhibitor access often sit in specialist commissioning / non-dermatology pathways rather than the core skin-oncology NICE TA set. Refer to the relevant monographs (tuberous sclerosis, MEN2B) and verify the current NICE / NHS England route at the time of prescribing.

Paraneoplastic & cross-disciplinary context

NICE TAs cited on the site for adjacent disease where a dermatosis is paraneoplastic to a non-skin malignancy.

Pre-malignant disease & field change

Pathway & referral

Surgical & procedural standards

Special populations

Histopathology datasets (RCPath)

The Royal College of Pathologists cancer datasets define the mandatory minimum data items that UK histopathology reports must include. The skin datasets below are accessed via the RCPath cancer datasets and tissue pathways hub; the hub also carries later TNM 9 / SNOMED appendices and notes where legacy skin datasets are on hold.

Classification & terminology

International cross-references

International guidance is cited throughout this site for context, particularly where UK guidance is silent or being updated. UK national guidance always takes precedence in NHS practice.

Source basis

  1. This page was launch-reviewed on 19 May 2026. See the source-control register for the NICE, NHS England, BAD, RCPath, WHO, AJCC / TNM and pivotal-trial sources used across the site; check live guidance and local MDT policy before applying recommendations.

Spot a correction?

If any clinical statement, citation or link on this page needs updating, please email admin@skinoncology.net with the page name, the proposed correction and the supporting source.