Skin Cancer Statistics 

This is the fifth article in the Understanding Skin Cancer Guide. This guide was developed by the HealthTree Education Team and was last updated and reviewed on May 14, 2026.

Skin cancer causes cells in the skin to grow too fast and form a tumor or abnormal growth. This page explains how many people are diagnosed with skin cancer each year and what survival statistics look like.

For many people, one of the first questions after a skin cancer diagnosis is "what is my prognosis?" or "how long will I live with skin cancer?" It is important to remember that every person is different, and researchers are always studying new treatments. Statistics describe groups of people. They cannot predict what will happen for any one individual.

It is also important to remember that these statistics tell us about groups of people, not individuals. Statistics can be hard to understand. Always talk to your doctor about your specific diagnosis and what these statistics mean for you. 

How common is skin cancer?

Skin cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the United States. It is estimated that more than 5 million cases of skin cancer are diagnosed in the United States each year, affecting more than 3 million Americans. The vast majority of these are basal cell carcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma, which are highly curable when caught early.

Melanoma is far less common but far more serious. In the United States, there are approximately 100,000 new cases of melanoma diagnosed each year, and about 8,000 people die of melanoma annually. Globally, melanoma rates have been rising over recent decades, though death rates have improved significantly due to new treatments.

It is worth noting that the total burden of skin cancer is likely undercounted, as basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas are not required to be reported to cancer registries in all states.

What is the survival rate for skin cancer?

Researchers use a statistic called the relative survival rate to understand how long most people live after a specific cancer diagnosis. This number compares people with the disease to people without it.

As an example: imagine two groups of 100 people. Group A does not have cancer. Group B does. After 5 years, 90 people in Group A are still alive. In Group B, 65 people are still alive. The 5-year relative survival rate would be about 72% — because 65 is 72% of 90.

Because basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma rarely spread and are almost always curable when caught early, survival statistics are most meaningful for melanoma, which is tracked by cancer registries. The overall 5-year relative survival rate for melanoma in the United States is approximately 94%. However, survival rates vary significantly by stage at diagnosis:

• Localized (melanoma has not spread beyond the skin): ~99% 5-year survival
• Regional (melanoma has spread to nearby lymph nodes or tissue): ~72% 5-year survival
• Distant (melanoma has spread to other organs such as the lungs, liver, or brain): ~35% 5-year survival

These numbers highlight why early detection is so important. Melanoma caught before it spreads is almost always curable. Melanoma that has spread to distant organs is much more difficult to treat, though newer immunotherapy and targeted therapy drugs have dramatically improved outcomes compared to just a decade ago.

It is also important to remember that relative survival rates reflect data collected over the past several years. These numbers may not include the most recent advances in treatment. New therapies continue to improve outcomes for many patients, particularly those with advanced melanoma. Always talk to your doctor about what these statistics mean for your specific situation.

Is skin cancer curable?

When skin cancer is caught early, before it has spread, it is almost always curable. Basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma are cured in the vast majority of cases with surgery or other local treatments. Melanoma caught at an early stage (localized) is also highly curable with surgery. Even in more advanced stages, newer treatments, particularly immunotherapy, have produced long-term remission in a meaningful number of patients with metastatic melanoma. Researchers continue to make advances that improve outcomes for patients at all stages.

SOURCES:

1. https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/melan.html