Cancer of the skin is the most common of cancers, probably accounting for at least half of all cancers. Melanoma accounts for less than 5% of skin cancer cases but causes a large majority of skin cancer deaths.

The American Cancer Society estimates that about 68,720 new melanomas will be diagnosed in the United States during 2009. Incidence rates for melanoma increased sharply at about 6% per year in the 1970s. During the 1980s and 1990s, the rate of increase slowed to a little less than 3% per year. Since 2000, the rate has been fairly stable.

Melanoma is more than 10 times more common in whites than in African Americans. It is slightly more common in males than in females.

Overall, the lifetime risk of getting melanoma is about 2% (1 in 50) for whites, 0.1% (1 in 1,000) for blacks, and 0.5% (1 in 200) for Hispanics. The risk for each person can be affected by a number of different factors, which are described in the section, "What are the risk factors for melanoma?"

Unlike many other common cancers, melanoma has a wide age distribution. It occurs in younger as well as older people. Rates continue to increase with age and are highest among those in their 80s, but melanoma is not uncommon even among those younger than 30. In fact, it is one of the more common cancers in adolescents and young adults.

About 8,650 people in the United States are expected to die of melanoma during 2009. The death rate has been stable since the 1990s for those older than 50, and has been dropping in those younger than 50.

For information on survival rates for melanoma, see the section, "How is melanoma staged?"

Last Medical Review: 06/05/2008
Last Revised: 05/14/2009