Introduction: Skin cancer is one of common cancers. Vietnam is a tropical country, therefore skin cancer is frequent. The study of macro and micro characteristics of common skin cancer categories was carried out with the expectation of contribution to the clinicians' early diagnosis and timely treatment of malignant cancers. Objects and methods: This is a transversal descriptive retrospective study using the data from the clinical records of skin cancer cases treated at Ho Chi Minh city Hospital of Dermato-Venereology during the period 1986-2005. Results: The majority of cases are basocellular carcinoma (215/317) then squamous cell carcinoma (85/317). Basocellular carcinoma is mostly observed atthe head-face-neckarea, while squamous cell carcinoma at the four limbs. Basocellular carcinoma's common clinical feature is ulcerated tumour and histological feature is mainly of solid type. Clinical feature of squamous cell carcinoma is mostly ulcerated verruca. No basocellular carcinoma metastasis is recorded, while 6 percent of squamous cell carcinoma suffer metastasis.