Cancer of the skin (including melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer) is the most common of all cancers. It accounts for about half of all cancers. The exact number of basal and squamous cell cancers is not known for certain. This means that the numbers given here are estimates.

More than 1 million basal and squamous cell skin cancers are found each year each year. Most of these (about 800,000 to 900,000) are basal cell cancers. Squamous cell cancer is less common – there are about 200,000 to 300,000 cases per year.

People do not often die of these cancers. About 2,000 people die of non-melanoma skin cancer each year in the United States. Most people who die are older. Other people likely to die of skin cancer are those with immune systems that are not working well. These are most often people who have had organ transplants.