Skin Cancer Facts

Skin cancer is caused when DNA becomes damaged and the body cannot mend what harm has been done. Harmed cells start to grow and split wildly, leading to the development of skin cancer. When the damaged cells increase, it creates a tumor.

• Too much exoposure to the sun's ultra -violet rays can lead to skin cancer.

Types

• The University of North Carolina School of Medicine reports that there are three common forms of skin cancer--squamous cell carcinoma, melanoma and basal cell carcinoma. Squamous cell carcinoma often appears on the hand or face and begins as a lump that gradually grows into an ulcer that does not get better. Melanoma develops from moles on the body. Basal cell carcinoma is the most frequent type of skin cancer and forms as a bump on the neck or head.

Most at Risk

• Fair-skinned people and those who have a family history of skin cancer are most prone to skin cancer, according to the Emergency Medical Services Authority. Others at a higher risk of developing skin cancer are people who are in the sun constantly, had numerous sunburns at an early age, and have several moles on their bodies.

Reported Cases and Deaths

• The Portland Dermatology Clinic states that, annually, more than 1 million cases of skin cancer are reported each year. Skin cancer makes up almost half of all the cancers reported in the United States and more cases of skin cancer are reported than those for breast, colon and lung cancer combined. Overall, 1 out of 5 Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime. The American Cancer Society predicts that skin cancer will kill more than 11,000 people alone in 2009.

Treatment Facts

• The majority of skin cancers can be attributed to ultraviolet rays and the amount of money spent for treatment connected to non-melanoma cancer in 2004 was over $1 billion, according to the Portland Dermatology Clinic. If detected early, skin cancer is one of the most treatable forms of cancer. When detected early, skin cancer has a cure rate of more than 90 percent,

Melanoma Facts

• The American Cancer Society reports that melanoma is most curable when it is detected early. However, melanoma is one of the most lethal forms of cancer. According to the Skin Physicians website, one person passes away from melanoma about every 60 minutes in the U.S. Melanoma often develops in moles on the body and the cure rate if caught early is greater than 95 percent.