Melanoma diagnoses are increasing at epidemic rates. You can help make a difference by knowing and sharing the facts about melanoma. Melanoma Fact Sheet
KNOW THE FACTS:
Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer. Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the U.S.
Today, there are over 1.4 million people living with melanoma in the U.S.
Approximately 8,430 Americans are expected to die from melanoma in 2025.
Melanoma does not discriminate by age, race or gender. Everyone is at risk.
• Between 300–400 children in the U.S. are diagnosed with melanoma each year. • The incidence of young people under 30 developing melanoma is increasing faster than any other group, soaring specifically in women by 50% since 1980. • 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. • 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.
• 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.
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In 2025 over 212,000 Americans are expected to be diagnosed with melanoma.
• Melanoma is not just a skin cancer. It can develop anywhere on the body — eyes, nails, feet, mouth, etc. • Nearly 93% 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. • 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.
Of these, 104,960 will be diagnosed with invasive (Stage I, II, III or IV) melanoma and 107,240 will be diagnosed with melanoma in situ.
Exposure to tanning beds before age 30 increases a person’s risk of developing melanoma by 35%.* • 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.
* Source: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2913608/
These tips can help protect your skin from too much UV exposure:
Seek shade when possible.
Cover up with clothing, sunglasses and a wide- brimmed hat.
Try to avoid being in the sun between 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF of at least 30 and reapply every two hours.
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