Skin Cancer Facts
More than 1 million new cases of skin cancer will be diagnosed in the United States this year.1Both basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma have a better than 95 percent five-year cure rate if detected and treated early.2
An estimated 10,710 people will die of skin cancer this year, 7,910 from melanoma and 2,800 from other skin cancers.3
There will be about 111,900 new cases of melanoma in 2006 – 49,710 in situ (noninvasive) and 62,190 invasive (34,260 men and 27,930 women).4 In 2006, at current rates one in 32 Americans have a lifetime risk of developing melanoma and one in 60 Americans have a lifetime risk of developing invasive melanoma.
One American dies of melanoma almost every hour (every 67 minutes). In 2006, 7,910 deaths will be attributed to melanoma – 5,020 men and 2,890 women.5 Older Caucasian males have the highest mortality rates from melanoma.
The incidence of melanoma has increased 690 percent from 1950 to 2001, and the overall mortality rate increased 165 percent during this same period.6
The estimated total direct cost associated with the treatment of melanoma in 2004 was $291 million. Of that total, office visits account for $101 million; hospital outpatient treatment accounts for $74.5 million; prescription drugs account for $77.5 million; hospital inpatient treatment accounts for $35.4 million; and emergency room treatment accounts for $1.2 million.7
In 2004, the total direct cost associated with the treatment for non-melanoma skin cancer was $1.5 billion. Of that, $1.2 billion is attributed to care received in physician offices.8
More than 73 percent of skin cancer deaths are from melanoma.9
Invasive melanoma is the fifth most common cancer in men and the seventh most common cancer in women.10
Melanoma is the second most common cancer in women aged 20-29.11
1 in 5 Americans will develop some form of skin cancer during their lifetime.12
Five or more sunburns double your risk of developing skin cancer.13
1, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 12 Source: American Cancer Society’s 2006 Facts & Figures **Excluding basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, which together are the most common cancers in both sexes.
2 Wong CS, Strange RC, Lear, JT. Basal cell carcinoma. BMJ 2003; 327(7418): 794-8.
5, 6, 7 Source: The Burden of Skin Diseases 2005, Copyright 2005, the Society for Investigative Dermatology and the American Academy of Dermatology Association.
11 Source: National Cancer Institute, SEER database, 1996-2000.
13 Pfahlberg A, Kolmel KF, Gefeller O. Adult vs childhood susceptibility to melanoma: Is there a difference? Arch Dermatol, Sep 2002; 138: 1234 - 1235.
For additional information visit The American Academy of Dermatology.