Since its founding in 1979, The Skin Cancer Foundation has set the standard for educating the public and the medical profession about skin cancer, its prevention by means of sun protection, and the need for early detection and prompt, effective treatment. It is the only international organization devoted solely to combating the world's most common cancer, now occurring at epidemic levels. More than a million new cases of skin cancer are diagnosed in the United States every year. The Foundation's mission is to decrease the incidence of the disease by means of public and professional education, medical training, and research.