Skin cancers are most readily cured when discovered early, and treated promptly. Every year, about 450,000 Americans are newly diagnosed with skin cancer, making this the most common form of the disease. Fortunately, this is the easiest of all cancers to detect, and most can be treated successfully. Skin cancer is linked to repeated exposure to the sun, and can be largely prevented with simple precautions. There are three main types of skin cancer.
Malignant melanoma is much less common.
If not detected early, and treated promptly, it can be very dangerous. Every year, about 22,000 people develop melanoma, and about 5,500 die from it. If current rates continue, one out of 100 Americans will develop this form of cancer. When diagnosed early, melanoma is easily cured. But if it is not found soon enough, it can be very difficult to treat.