Since 1993, ten multidisciplinary symposia were organized at The Netherlands Cancer Institute on the diagnosis and treatment of malignancies of the head and neck. The symposia are meant to provide up-to-date teaching for physicians by world-renowned speakers. The previous symposia dealt with sarcomas, reconstruction, cancer in young patients, salivary glands, melanoma, unknown primaries, as well as several other topics. This 10th symposium focused on skin cancer of the head and neck. There are many types of skin cancer and the differential diagnosis can often be difficult. In this symposium, diagnosis, molecular biology, epidemiology, staging and the treatment of various skin cancers were discussed by leaders in the field. There were over 200 participants from many different countries in Europe and overseas, representing specialties in the fields of dermatology, maxillofacial surgery, otolaryngology, head and neck surgery, general surgery, plastic and reconstructive surgery, and radiotherapy.