Keeping Your Skin Safe In The Sun – Part 3: Skin Cancer Statistics

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. The two most common types of skin cancer—basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas—are highly curable. However, melanoma, the third most common skin cancer, is more dangerous, especially among young people. About 65%–90% of melanomas are caused by exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light or sunlight.

The following statistics refer to new cases of, and deaths from, melanomas of the skin. Non-epithelial skin cancers, which are not reflected below, represent 7% of skin cancers that are tracked by central cancer registries. These statistics also do not include data for basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas, which are not tracked by central cancer registries.

In 2006,

• 53,919 people in the United States were diagnosed with melanomas of the skin, 30,560 of them men and 23,359 of them women.
• 50,518 whites, 1,068 Hispanics, 311 blacks, 170 Asian/Pacific Islanders, and 91 American Indians/Alaska Natives in the United States were diagnosed with melanomas of the skin.

That same year,

• 8,441 people in the United States died of melanomas of the skin, 5,477 of them men and 2,964 of them women.
• 8,250 whites, 204 Hispanics, 126 blacks, 44 Asian/Pacific Islanders, and 21 American Indians/Alaska Natives in the United States died of melanomas of the skin.

Research shows that most skin cancers can be prevented if people are protected from UV light.

*The most recent year for which statistics are currently available. Incidence counts cover approximately 96% of the U.S. population. Death counts cover 100% of the U.S. population. Use caution in comparing incidence and death counts.

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Guidelines for school programs to prevent skin cancer. MMWR 2002;51(No. RR-4):1–16.

U.S. Cancer Statistics Working Group. United States Cancer Statistics: 1999–2006 Incidence and Mortality Web-based Report. Atlanta (GA): Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and National Cancer Institute; 2010. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/uscs.