In 1980, the risk of developing invasive malignant melanoma was 1 in 250; today, it’s 1 in 55. In 1987, there were approximately 25,800 new cases of melanoma in the U.S.; in 2008, more than 62,400 men and women were diagnosed. Those aren’t the only disturbing increases in skin cancer incidence.

In 1985, we noted that basal cell carcinoma, the most common form of skin cancer, affected more than 400,000 Americans every year. Over the years we revised that statistic to 500,000 (1990) and then 800,000 cases per year (1999). Currently, there are an estimated one million new cases of basal cell carcinoma annually.

In 1990, we estimated squamous cell carcinoma incidence at over 100,000 cases a year. Today, more than 250,000 cases are diagnosed annually.

Risk of developing invasive malignant melanoma	Invasive melanoma	Squamous cell carcinoma	Basal cell carcinoma

There are many reasons for the increase in the incidence of skin cancer, which persists despite the fact that the public is now much more aware of the necessity of protecting themselves from the sun. One reason for this rise is the proliferation of UV tanning salons, a relatively recent trend especially popular among young women. Additionally, we are still seeing the widespread effects of a popular culture that idealized tan skin from the 1920s until very recently. People who sunbathed as children and young adults are only now seeing the long-term effects in the form of skin cancers. And since skin cancers most often occur in older people who have had many years to accumulate sun damage, the rise in skin cancers is also related to the increased life spans associated with modern medicine. Another possible explanation for the growth of skin cancers is the ozone layer depletion that occurred in the 1970s and 80s: The ozone layer is instrumental in protecting us from harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation, and the damage done to the ozone layer by chlorofluorocarbons only began to abate in 2000. The ozone layer is not expected to fully recover until the mid 2060s.