Skin cancer is one of the most common forms of malignancy, and malignant melanoma (MM) is one of the most aggressive types of skin tumour. High mortality rates seen with MM are due to this tumour’s ability to metastasise to distant organs possibly via the lymphatic system. Recent studies have shown that MM cells stimulate the growth of lymphatic vessels (lymphangiogenesis) and that this facilitates metastasis in animal models (Mandriota et al. 2001; Skobe et al. 2001a, b). Using the lymphatic marker, LYVE-1, we determined the presence of intra-tumoral and peripheral lymphatics in normal tissue and skin cancers. Normal skin, archival basal cell carcinoma (BCC; non-metastatic) and MM samples were obtained with Local Ethical Committee approval (North Bristol NHS Trust). Sections (5 µm thick) were dewaxed, rehydrated and microwaved in Tris/EDTA buffer, pH 9. Sections were incubated in either 4.2 µg ml^-1 rabbit anti-human LYVE-1 or 4.2 µg ml^-1 normal rabbit IgG overnight at 4 °C. Primary antibody was detected with 2 µg ml^-1 biotinylated goat anti-rabbit, standard avidin-biotin complex and diaminobenzidine (Vector). The number and fractional area and of lymphatics within the tumour and within 350 µm of the tumour edge were calculated using NIH Image 1.62 software. There was a significantly higher peripheral lymphatic area fraction (mean ± S.E.M. 0.83 ± 0.22 %, n = 6) and density (13.9 ± 3.6 vessels mm^-2) in MM samples than BCC (0.12 ± 0.03 %, and 3.0 ± 0.9 vessels mm^-2, n = 6; P < 0.05, Mann-Whitney U test). Moreover, peripheral area fraction and density of lymphatics around MM were significantly greater than in normal tissue (P < 0.05), whereas BCC lymphatic area and density were not significantly different from normal tissue controls. BCC samples had a reduced intra-tumoral lymphatic density, consistent with a proliferative, non-lymphangiogenic, non-invasive phenotype. However, the lymphatic density inside the MM was no less than normal tissue. This is not consistent with a lack of lymphangiogenesis, since MM is proliferative as well as invasive. These preliminary results indicate that MM may have the ability to stimulate lymphatic growth and allow metastasis whereas BCC does not.