Skin Cancer Health Center

Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States.

Each year, more than 76,000 Americans are diagnosed with melanoma, and another 48,000 are diagnosed with an early form of the disease that involves only the top layer of skin.

Also, each year more than 2 million people are treated for non-melanoma skin cancers - basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer. Basal cell skin cancer is several times more common than squamous cell skin cancer.

Basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas are usually curable and aren’t generally included in cancer statistics.

Melanoma is ten times more common in white people than in people of color, and while it makes up less than 5 percent of skin cancer cases, it accounts for most skin cancer deaths. Just over 9,000 Americans will not beat their fight against melanoma this year.

Review Date: 
March 28, 2012
Last Updated:
June 28, 2013
Source:
dailyrx.com