Cancer of the skin (including melanoma and basal and squamous cell skin cancers) is by far the most common of all types of cancer. About 3.5 million basal and squamous cell skin cancers are diagnosed each year. Most of these are basal cell cancers. Squamous cell cancers occur less often.
The number of people who develop basal and squamous cell skin cancers each year is not known for certain. Statistics of most other cancers are known because they are reported to cancer registries, but basal and squamous cell skin cancers are not reported.
The number of these cancers has been increasing for many years. This is probably due to a combination of increased detection, more sun exposure, and people living longer.
Death from these cancers is uncommon. It is thought that about 3,000 people die each year from non-melanoma skin cancers, and this rate has been dropping in recent years. Most people who die are elderly. Other people more likely to die of skin cancer are those whose immune system is suppressed, such as those who have received organ transplants.
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