Learn the facts and basic statistics about melanoma with the MRF's Melanoma Fact Sheet! Print it off and share it at schools, health fairs and fundraisers!
Melanoma Fact Sheet MELANOMA DIAGNOSES ARE INCREASING AT EPIDEMIC RATES. YOU CAN HELP MAKE A DIFFERENCE BY KNOWING AND SHARING THE FACTS ABOUT MELANOMA.
KNOW THE FACTS
• Indoor tanning beds are proven to cause cancer and have been classified into the highest cancer risk category by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Cancer Research (IARC). • Young people who regularly use tanning beds are 8 times more likely to develop melanoma than people who have never used them. • These tips can help protect your skin from too much UV exposure:
• The incidence of young people under 30 developing melanoma is increasing faster than any other group, soaring specifically in women by 50% since 1980. • Approximately 4 00 children in the U.S. are diagnosed with melanoma each year. • Today, there are over 1 . 4 million people living with melanoma in the U.S. • The lifetime risk of getting melanoma ranges from 1.0 (per 100,000) in Black individuals, 1.3 in Asian/Pacific Islander individuals, 4.8 in Hispanic individuals, 10.3 in Native American individuals and 30.6 in White individuals. • Nearly 90% of melanomas are thought to be caused by exposure to UV light and sunlight. • It takes only one blistering sunburn, especially at a young age, to more than double a person’s chance of developing melanoma later in life. • For adults ages 50 and older, incidence rates continue to increase in women by almost 3% per year but have stabilized in recent years in men.
• Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer. Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the U.S. • Approximately 8,290 Americans are expected to die f r om melanoma in 202 4 . • In 202 4 over 200,300 Americans are expected to be diagnosed with melanoma. Of these, 100,640 will be diagnosed with invasive (Stage I, II, III or IV) melanoma and 9 9 , 700 will be diagnosed with melanoma in situ . • Melanoma is not just a skin cancer. It can develop anywhere on the body – eyes, scalp, nails, feet, mouth, etc. • Melanoma does not discriminate by age, race or gender. Everyone is at risk. • In ages 30-39, melanoma is the fifth most commonly diagnosed form of cancer. • Incidence rates for individuals younger than 50 have stabilized in women and declined by about 1% per year in men since the early 2000s. • Exposure to tanning beds before age 30 increases a person’s risk of developing melanoma by 75%.
Seek shade when possible
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Cover up with clothing, sunglasses and a wide- brimmed hat Try to avoid being in the sun between 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF of at least 30 and reapply every two hours
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• The 5-year survival rate for melanoma overall is 94%, ranging from >99% for cases diagnosed at a localized stage to 35% for distant- stage disease, up from 15% in the mid-2000s due to treatment breakthroughs .
Last updated 1 / 22 / 2 4
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