Revealing the
Facts about Skin Cancer

Facts about skin cancers can be obtained from many institution such as World Health Organization, American Cancer Society, The Cancer Council Australia, National Cancer Institute, American Academy of Dermatology, Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, American Melanoma Foundation, Skin Cancer Foundation and others.

Facts About Skin Cancer from World Health Organisation

• Between 2 and 3 million non-melanoma skin cancers are diagnosed each year and approximately 130,000 malignant melanomas occur globally each year.
• It is estimated that as many as 60,000 people a year worldwide die from too much sun, mostly from malignant skin cancer. Of these deaths 48,000 are from melanoma, and 12,000 are from other skin cancers. About 90% of these cancers are caused by ultraviolet light from the sun.
• One in five North Americans and one in two Australians will develop some form of skin cancer in their lifetime.
• More than 75% of skin cancer deaths are from melanoma.

Facts About Skin Cancer from American Cancer Society

• It is estimated more than 1 million new cases of highly curable non-melanoma skin cancer - basal and squamous cell cancers will be diagnosed annually. Most of the more than 1 million cases diagnoses yearly in the United States are considered to be sun-related.
• About 3 out of 4 skin cancers are basal cell. Squamous cell cancers accounts for about 2 out of 10 skin cancers.
• It is estimated that there will be 108,230 new cases of melanoma - the most serious type of skin cancer diagnosed in the United States in year 2007. An estimated 10,850 people will die of skin cancer this year - 8,110 people from melanoma and 2,740 from other skin cancers.
• Cancers of the skin is the most common of all cancers and it accounts for about half of all cancers.
• Men get skin cancers about twice as often as women.

One in three Caucasians will develop skin cancer in the course of a lifetime.

Facts About Skin Cancer from The Cancer Council Australia

• Skin cancer account for about 81% of all new cancers diagnosed each year in Australia.
• Each year over 374,000 Australians are diagnosed with non-melanoma skin cancer - the most frequently occurring cancer and almost 360 death.
• Over 8,800 Australians are diagnosed with melanoma skin cancer and almost 1000 people die.

Other Facts About Skin Cancer

• The incidence of melanoma has increased 690% from year 1950 to 2001, and overall mortality rate increased 165%.
• Melanoma is the second most common cancer in women aged 20-29 years.
• Skin cancer is the number one cancer in men over age 50 ahead of prostate, lungs and colon cancer.
• Melanoma represents only 4% of all skin cancers in the US, but accounts for more than 79% of all skin cancer deaths.

Take a QUIZ! Do darker-skinned people such as African-Americans, Latinos or Asians experience the same risk of skin cancer as Caucasians? YES or NO?

The answer is YES! While the incidence of skin cancer is relatively low in ethnic groups with darker skin, the risks are equal. And also most deadly because it is more likely to develop undetected.

Related Articles

To know the various types of skin cancer.

Return to 1ST-SUNPROTECTION-GUIDE.COM from Facts About Skin Cancer