Background Information

Children spend lots of time outdoors during recess, physical education classes, after-school activities, and sports programs. While some exposure to sunlight can be enjoyable and healthy, too much can be dangerous. Children need to be physically active, but must learn to protect themselves from overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. This overexposure can cause serious health effects, including skin cancer and other skin disorders, eye damage and cataracts, and immune system suppression. Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States. Here are some other facts about skin cancer:

Skin Cancer Facts

• In 2008, an estimated 8,400+ people will die of melanoma. (1)
• Approximately half of all cancers in the U.S. are skin cancers. One in five Americans will develop skin cancer during their lifetime. (2)
• This year alone, more than one million new cases of skin cancer will be found in the United States. (2)
• The number of people with the most often deadly form of skin cancer, melanoma, is rising at an alarming rate. It is projected that for persons born in 2008, one in 58 will be diagnosed with melanoma (3)—that’s about 20 times higher than it was for persons born in 1930. (4)
• Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light is the number-one preventable risk factor for skin cancer. Taking simple steps now to prevent overexposure lowers one’s risk.
• In a majority of studies, researchers have found a positive relationship between childhood sunburns and the subsequent risk of melanoma. (5)

Join Now!

You can make a difference! Children need sun protection education since unprotected exposure to the sun during youth puts them at increased lifetime risk for skin cancer. One or two blistering sunburns in childhood may double the lifetime risk of developing melanoma. By educating ourselves and our children about UV-related health effects and the steps for sun protection, we can ensure a healthy future for the next generation.

• Sign up your school here.

• Sign up your informal education organization here.

More Information: The Science

For more in-depth information on ozone layer depletion, UV radiation, and the health effects of UV, click on any of the links below:

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References Cited

The following links to non-EPA sites do not imply any official EPA endorsement. EPA does not accept any responsibility for the opinions, ideas, data or products presented at those locations, or guarantee the validity of the information provided. Please see EPA's disclaimer for more information.

1. American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts and Figures 2008. Available at www.cancer.org/downloads/STT/2008CAFFfinalsecured.pdf. Accessed April 11, 2008.
2. American Cancer Society (ACS). 2008. Available at www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/content/ped_7_1_What_You_Need_To_Know_About_Skin_Cancer.asp?sitearea=&level=. Accessed April 10, 2008.
3. American Academy of Dermatology. 2008 Skin Cancer Fact Sheet. Available at www.aad.org/media/background/factsheets/fact_skincancer.html. Accessed April 16, 2008.
4. Rigel, Darrell, Robert J. Friedman, M.D., Alfred W. Kopf, M.D. 1996. The Incidence of Malignant Melanoma in the United States: Issues as We Approach the 21st Century. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. 34(5), 839-847. May 1996.
5. Oliveria, S.A., M Saraiya, A.C. Geller, M.K. Heneghan, C. Jorgensen. 2006. Sun Exposure and Risk of Melanoma. Archives of Disease in Childhood 91:131–138. doi: 10.1136/adc.2005.086918.