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Basic Information

Download the 2008/2009 Skin Cancer Prevention and Education Initiative Fact Sheet (PDF-1.4MB).

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. Approximately 65%–90% of melanomas are caused by exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light or sunlight.¹

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 8% 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 2004,*²

• 50,039 people in the United States were diagnosed with melanomas of the skin, 28,339 of them men and 21,700 of them women.



• 46,878 whites, 1,051 Hispanics, 283 blacks, 163 Asian/Pacific Islanders, and 73 American Indian/Alaska Natives in the United States were diagnosed with melanomas of the skin.

That same year,²

• 7,952 people in the United States died of skin cancer, 5,125 of them men and 2,827 of them women.¹



• 7,801 whites, 138 Hispanics, and 119 blacks in the United States died of melanomas of the skin.¹

Epidemiologic data suggest that most skin cancers can be prevented if children, adolescents, and adults are protected from UV radiation.¹

*The most recent year for which statistics are currently available. Incidence counts cover approximately 98% of the U.S. population. Death counts cover 100% of the U.S. population. Use caution in comparing incidence and death counts.

Risk Factors

People with certain risk factors are more likely than others to develop skin cancer. Risk factors vary for different types of skin cancer, but some general risk factors are having:^{1 3 4}

• A lighter natural skin color.
• Family history of skin cancer.
• A personal history of skin cancer.
• Exposure to the sun through work and play.
• A history of sunburns early in life.
• Skin that burns, freckles, reddens easily, or becomes painful in the sun.
• Blue or green eyes.
• Blond or red hair.
• Certain types and a large number of moles.

Risk Reduction

The best way to prevent skin cancer is to protect oneself from the sun.^{1 4} When used consistently, sun-protective practices can reduce a person's risk of developing skin cancer.

CDC recommends easy options for sun protection:¹

• Seek shade, especially during midday hours (10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.), when UV rays are strongest and do the most damage.
• Cover up with clothing to protect exposed skin.
• Wear a hat with a wide brim to shade the face, head, ears, and neck.
• Wear sunglasses that wrap around and block as close to 100% of both UVA and UVB rays as possible.
• Rub on sunscreen with sun protective factor (SPF) 15 or higher, and both UVA and UVB protection.

Tanning beds and sunlamps emit ultraviolet rays that are as dangerous as those from the sun and, therefore, should be avoided. As of April 2008, at least 28 states had passed legislation governing the use of tanning facilities by minors.⁵

National surveys supported by CDC indicate that U.S. youth and adults are being exposed to ultraviolet radiation and can do more to protect themselves.

• More than one-third of the U.S. population reported a sunburn in the previous year, with rates higher among men and the non-Hispanic white population.⁶



• Only 56% of adults practiced at least one of the three sun-protective behaviors (use sunscreen, wear sun-protective clothing, or seek shade).⁷
• 30% reported usually applying sunscreen.
• 7% applied sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher.
• 18% reported usually wearing some type of fully sun-protective clothing.
• 33% usually sought shade.


• Only 9% of high school students reported that they routinely used a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher.⁸



• About 9% of teens aged 14–17 years used indoor tanning devices. Girls aged 14–17 years were seven times more likely than boys in the same age group to use these devices.⁹

Early Detection

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has concluded there is not enough evidence to recommend for or against routine screening (total body examination by a clinician) to detect skin cancers early. However, the USPSTF recommends that clinicians 1) be aware that fair-skinned men and women aged 65 and older, and people with atypical moles or more than 50 moles, are at greater risk for developing melanoma; and 2) remain alert for skin abnormalities when conducting physical examinations for other purposes.¹⁰

References

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

²U.S. Cancer Statistics Working Group. United States Cancer Statistics: 2004 Incidence and Mortality. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Washington, D.C.: National Cancer Institute; 2007.

³National Cancer Institute. What You Need to Know About Skin Cancer. Bethesda, MD: National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

⁴National Cancer Institute. Skin Cancer Prevention (PDQ^®). Bethesda, MD: National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

⁵The Charlie Guild Melanoma Foundation, StateNet, and NCSL, 2006–2008.

⁶Saraiya M, Balluz L, Wen XJ, Joseph DA. Sunburn prevalence among adults—United States, 1999, 2003, and 2004. MMWR 2007;6(21):524–528.

⁷National Cancer Institute. Cancer Trends Progress Report—2007 Update. Bethesda, MD: National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

⁸Eaton DK, Kann L, Kinchen S, Ross J, Hawkins J, Harris WA, Lowry R, McManus T, Chyen D, Shanklin S, Lim C, Grunbaum JA, Wechsler H. Youth risk behavior surveillance—United States, 2005. MMWR Surveillance Summaries 2006;55(5):1–108.

⁹QuickStats: Percentage of teens aged 14–17 years who used indoor tanning devices during the preceding 12 months, by sex and age—United States, 2005. MMWR 2006;55(40):1101.

¹⁰United States Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for Skin Cancer. Recommendations and Rationale. Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

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