Skin Cancer Foundation

2007 Skin Cancer Facts

GENERAL

• Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. More than 1 million skin cancers are diagnosed annually.  (1)
• Squamous cell carcinoma is the second most common form of skin cancer. More than 250,000 cases are diagnosed each year, resulting in approximately 2,500 deaths each year. (5)
• One in 5 Americans and one in 3 Caucasians will develop skin cancer in the course of a lifetime. (3)
• More than 90 percent of all skin cancers are caused by sun exposure.
• A person's risk for skin cancer doubles if he or she has had five or more sunburns. (2)

MELANOMA

Approximately 59,940 melanomas will be diagnosed this year, with nearly 8,110 resulting in death. (3)

• More than 20 people die each day from skin cancer, primarily melanoma. (3)
  
• 1 in 59 men and women will be diagnosed with melanoma during their lifetime. (1)
• One blistering sunburn in childhood more than doubles a person's chances of developing melanoma later in life. (14)
• While melanoma is uncommon in African-Americans, Latinos, and Asians, it is most deadly for these populations because it is more likely to develop undetected. (8)
• Survival rate for patients with early detection is about 99%. The survival rate falls to between 15 and 65% or higher, depending on how far the disease has spread. (1)
• The cost of melanoma in the U.S. is more than $740 million annually. (11)

MEN/WOMEN

• The majority of people diagnosed with melanoma are white men over age 50. (5)
• Skin cancer is the #1 cancer in men over age 50, ahead of prostate, lung and colon cancer. (1)
• Men over age 40 spend the most time outdoors and have the highest annual exposure to ultraviolet radiation. (9)
• Melanoma is the third most common cancer in women aged 20-39. (1)
• The percentage of women under age 40 with basal cell carcinoma has tripled in the last thirty years, while their rate of squamous cell cancer has increased four-fold. (10)

TEENS/TANNING

• Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is a proven human carcinogen, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (13)
• Exposure to tanning beds before age 35 increases melanoma risk by 75 percent. (16)
• Nearly 30 million people tan indoors in the U.S. annually; 2.3 million of them are teens. (4)
• On an average day in the U.S., more than 1 million people tan in tanning salons; 70% are Caucasian women aged 16-49. (7)
• People who use tanning beds are 2.5 times more likely to develop squamous cell carcinoma and 1.5 times more likely to develop basal cell carcinoma. (12)
• Occasional use of tanning beds almost triples the chances of developing melanoma. (12)
• New high-pressure sunlamps emit doses of UVR that can be as much as 15 times that of the sun.(13)
• The indoor tanning industry has an estimated revenue of $5 billion. (6)
• Up to 90 percent of the visible skin changes commonly attributed to aging are caused by the sun. These changes can be seen as early as in one's 20's. (15)

Sources

1. National Cancer Institute, 2007 SEER Database

2. Pfahlberg A, Kolmel KF, Gefeller O.  Adult vs childhood susceptibility to melanoma.  Is there a difference?  Arch Dermatol, Sept 2002; 138: 1234-1235.

3. American Cancer Society's 2007 Facts & Figures

4. Kwon HT, Mayer JA, Walker KK, Yu H, Lewis EC, Belch GE.  Promotion of frequent tanning sessions by indoor tanning facilities: two studies.  J Am Acad Dermatol 2003; 46:700-5.

5. American Academy of Dermatology

6. Demierre MF.  Time for the national legislation of indoor tanning to protect minors.  Arch Dermatol 2006; 139:520-4.

7. Swerdlow AJ, Weinstock MA.  Do tanning lamps cause melanoma? An epidemiologic assessment.  J Am Acad Dermatol 1998; 38:89-98.

8.  Cress RD, Holly EA.  Incidence of cutaneous melanoma among non-Hispanic whites, Hispanics, Asians, and blacks: an analysis of California cancer registry data, 1988-93.  Cancer Causes Control 1997; 8:246-52.

9. Godar DE, Journal of Drugs in Dermatology. Nov-Dec 2004.

10. Source: Christenson LJ, Borrownman TA, Vachon CM, Tollefson MM, Otley CC, Weaver AL, Roenigk RK.  Incidence of basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas in a population younger than 40 years.  JAMA. 2005;294:681-690.

11. Archives of Dermatology, 2007

12. American Cancer Society 2006

13. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services

14. Mayo Clinic 2006

15. Taylor CR et al. "Photaging/Photodamage and Photoprotection" J. of American Academy of Dermatology, 1990: 22

16. IARC. The association of use of sunbeds with cutaneous malignant melanoma and other skin cancers: A systematic review.  International Journal of Cancer.  2007:120:1116-1122.

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