An estimated 3,500 new cases of skin cancer of the lips occur each year, and 90 percent of them are
squamous cell carcinoma, according to an April 2008 MSNBC Health report, "Not just lip service: Gloss can invite skin cancer." If diagnosed in its early stages and treated properly, this form of cancer is not as serious as other types, according to the report. But left untreated, this carcinoma can cause lip disfigurement, and in rare cases it can spread and become deadly.