Press Release

Quick Facts About Skin Cancer

Skin cancer is the most common of all cancers.
The number of skin cancer patients is growing steadily.
Estimates of Americans diagnosed with skin cancer each year range from 700,000 to one million.
Half of all Americans will experience skin cancer at least once before the age of 65.
The average age of patients diagnosed with skin cancer is dropping, from 50 to 40 years old.
Approximately 75 percent of damage to your skin from the sun happens by the time you are 20 years old.
More than 90 percent of all skin cancer cases are due to overexposure to sunlight.
Skin cancer is believed to result from overexposure to ultraviolet radiation.
Nearly 90 percent of skin cancers are preventable, and if detected early, are highly curable.
There are two types of skin cancer: melanoma and non-melanoma. More than 80 percent of skin cancer deaths are from melanoma.
In the United States, the number of new cases of melanoma (a type of malignant skin cancer) has more than doubled in the past 20 years.
Florida has the second highest rate of melanoma cases in the nation. The top four states are (1) California, (2) Florida, (3) Texas and (4) New York.
Genetics are considered one of the greatest known risk factors for skin cancer, including a genetic predisposition for melanoma and bearing numerous moles.