The Cutaneous Oncology Program was initially established as a developmental program and achieved full programmatic status in 1996. Its mission is to utilize knowledge gained from basic, preclinical, and clinical research endeavors to improve the overall care of patients with skin cancer. We believe that understanding the biology of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers will drive future innovations in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. The program now consists of 15 investigators from 9 Departments, with over $3.2 million dollars in annual direct funding for basic and clinical research activities. Basic research efforts are focused on areas that have relevance to all forms of cutaneous neoplasia, including the investigation of molecular, biochemical, cellular, and tissue alterations driving the development and progression of skin cancer. A major new initiative is aimed at developing mouse models of human skin cancer for basic and preclinical studies. The clinical research program has made important advances using innovative, immune-based therapies for melanoma. Given the importance of early detection, additional efforts in melanoma are focused on the development of improved patient-education materials, while other work is aimed at better understanding the psychosocial and behavioral repercussions of being diagnosed with melanoma.