Skin cancer snapshot: National rates fall, men remain vulnerable
Facts at your fingertips
By Emily Margosian, assistant editor, May 1, 2020
The results of the American Cancer Society’s (ACS) 2020 projections are in. Each year, the ACS estimates the number of new cancer cases and deaths in the United States by compiling the most recent data on population-based cancer occurrence. This year, the ACS anticipates 1,806,590 new cancer cases — approximately 4,950 new cases each day — and 606,520 cancer deaths. However, despite nearly 2 million projected new cancer cases, ACS historical data show that U.S. cancer rates reached their peak in 1991, and have continued to fall continuously ever since, resulting in an overall decline of 29%, or 2.9 million fewer cancer deaths than would have occurred if peak rates had persisted.
The ACS projections do not include data on SCCs or BCCs. However, melanoma is predicted to account for a majority (93%) of new skin cancer cases when you exclude basal and squamous cell skin cancer, with men accounting for 60% of all new skin cancer cases and 70% of anticipated deaths due to skin cancer. For a detailed breakdown of 2020’s projected skin cancer incidence, see the graphic below.
