Skin Cancer Statistics
By Savanna Perry, PA-C
Melanoma is so prevalent, and that it even has it’s own month. Every year, May is Melanoma Awareness Month. It’s perfect because it’s the very beginning of summer when everyone is starting to shed their layers and show a little more skin, which means it’s also a great time to start paying attention to the spots on your skin.
Here are some skin cancer statistics that Coolibar recently published:
- 1 out of 5 Americans will develop skin cancer in a lifetime
- Every hour of every day, 1 American dies from melanoma. That translates to 10,000 people per year. (Melanoma Research Foundation)
- Nearly 90% of melanomas are thought to be caused by UV light. That means the sun or tanning beds.
- This year, over 160,000 Americans are expected to have melanoma diagnoses. Over half of those will be invasive.
- One blistering sunburn, particularly at a young, can more than double an individual’s chance of having melanoma.
- Over the past 30 years, people have had more skin cancers than all other cancers combined (Skin Cancer Foundation)
- Around half of all Americans who reach age 65 will have a non-melanoma skin cancer at least once. (Skin Cancer Foundation)
Skin cancer is no joke, but unlike some other types of cancer, the good news is that many times it is preventable. There are factors, such as family history, that can increase your risk of developing skin cancer regardless of sun exposure, but adding those UV rays just increases your risk further. To be in the half of Americans who do not develop skin cancer, make sure you are wearing at least 30 SPF sunscreen and reapplying every 60-80 minutes, wearing UPF clothing, and consistently using a wide-brim hat. Simple changes to everyday life can make a huge difference in your health!