Almost 1 million cases of skin cancer occur in this country each year. Skin cancer most often occurs among older, fair-skinned people and is rare among African Americans. Most skin cancers are either basal cell or squamous cell type.
Malignant melanoma is a much more serious form of skin cancer.
Melanoma will be diagnosed in about 40,000 Americans this year. The lifetime risk of developing melanoma is now 1 in 100. There are more than three different types of skin cancer, but the three listed here account for the majority of malignant skin tumors. They usually develop on the face and ears. Once thought of as a disease of middle or older age, basal cell cancer is being seen more and more often in younger people.