Cancer Stat Facts: Melanoma of the Skin

At a Glance

Rate of New Cases and Deaths per 100,000: The rate of new cases of melanoma of the skin was 21.2 per 100,000 men and women per year. The death rate was 2.0 per 100,000 men and women per year. These rates are age-adjusted and based on 2017–2021 cases and 2018–2022 deaths.

Lifetime Risk of Developing Cancer: Approximately 2.1 percent of men and women will be diagnosed with melanoma of the skin at some point during their lifetime, based on 2018–2021 data, excluding 2020 due to COVID.

Prevalence of This Cancer: In 2021, there were an estimated 1,449,916 people living with melanoma of the skin in the United States.

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How Many People Survive 5 Years Or More after Being Diagnosed with Melanoma of the Skin?

Relative survival is an estimate of the percentage of patients who would be expected to survive the effects of their cancer. It excludes the risk of dying from other causes. Because survival statistics are based on large groups of people, they cannot be used to predict exactly what will happen to an individual patient. No two patients are entirely alike, and treatment and responses to treatment can vary greatly.

5-Year
Relative Survival

94.1%

Based on data from SEER 22 (Excluding IL/MA) 2014–2020. Gray figures represent those who have died from melanoma of the skin. Green figures represent those who have survived 5 years or more.

Survival by Stage

Cancer stage at diagnosis, which refers to extent of a cancer in the body, determines treatment options and has a strong influence on the length of survival. In general, if the cancer is found only in the part of the body where it started it is localized (sometimes referred to as stage 1). If it has spread to a different part of the body, the stage is regional or distant. The earlier melanoma of the skin is caught, the better chance a person has of surviving five years after being diagnosed. For melanoma of the skin, 77.3% are diagnosed at the local stage. The 5-year relative survival for localized melanoma of the skin is 100.0%.

How Common Is This Cancer?

Compared to other cancers, melanoma of the skin is fairly common.

Rank	Common Types of Cancer	Estimated New Cases 2024	Estimated Deaths 2024
1.	Breast Cancer (Female)	310,720	42,250
2.	Prostate Cancer	299,010	35,250
3.	Lung and Bronchus Cancer	234,580	125,070
4.	Colorectal Cancer	152,810	53,010
5.	Melanoma of the Skin	100,640	8,290
6.	Bladder Cancer	83,190	16,840
7.	Kidney and Renal Pelvis Cancer	81,610	14,390
8.	Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma	80,620	20,140
9.	Uterine Cancer	67,880	13,250
10.	Pancreatic Cancer	66,440	51,750

Melanoma of the skin represents 5.0% of all new cancer cases in the U.S.

5.0%

In 2024, it is estimated that there will be 100,640 new cases of melanoma of the skin and an estimated 8,290 people will die of this disease.

Who Gets This Cancer?

Melanoma is more common in men than women and among individuals of fair complexion and those who have been exposed to natural or artificial sunlight (such as tanning beds) over long periods of time. There are more new cases among whites than any other racial/ethnic group. The rate of new cases of melanoma of the skin was 21.2 per 100,000 men and women per year based on 2017–2021 cases, age-adjusted.

Rate of New Cases per 100,000 Persons by Race/Ethnicity & Sex: Melanoma of the Skin

Males

All Races	27.1
Hispanic	4.5
Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native	9.7
Non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander	1.3
Non-Hispanic Black	1.0
Non-Hispanic White	38.1

Females

All Races	16.9
Hispanic	4.5
Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native	7.5
Non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander	1.1
Non-Hispanic Black	0.9
Non-Hispanic White	25.6

• All Races
• Hispanic
• Non-Hispanic American Indian/
  Alaska Native
• Non-Hispanic Asian /
  Pacific Islander
• Non-Hispanic Black
• Non-Hispanic White

SEER 22 2017–2021, Age-Adjusted

Who Dies From This Cancer?

For melanoma of the skin, death rates are higher among the middle-aged and elderly. The death rate was 2.0 per 100,000 men and women per year based on 2018–2022 deaths, age-adjusted.

Death Rate per 100,000 Persons by Race/Ethnicity & Sex: Melanoma of the Skin

Males

All Races	3.0
Hispanic	0.8
Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native	1.1
Non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander	0.3
Non-Hispanic Black	0.4
Non-Hispanic White	3.8

Females

All Races	1.3
Hispanic	0.5
Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native	0.6
Non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander	0.2
Non-Hispanic Black	0.3
Non-Hispanic White	1.7

• All Races
• Hispanic
• Non-Hispanic American Indian/
  Alaska Native
• Non-Hispanic Asian /
  Pacific Islander
• Non-Hispanic Black
• Non-Hispanic White

U.S. 2018–2022, Age-Adjusted

Changes Over Time

Keeping track of new cases, deaths, and survival over time (trends) can help scientists understand whether progress is being made and where additional research is needed to address challenges, such as improving screening or finding better treatments.

Using statistical models for analysis, age-adjusted rates for new melanoma of the skin cases have been rising on average 1.1% each year over 2012–2021. Age-adjusted death rates have been falling on average 3.5% each year over 2013–2022. 5-year relative survival trends are shown below.

Melanoma

Figure: Melanoma Anatomy

Figure: Anatomy of the skin, showing the epidermis, dermis, and subcutaneous tissue. Melanocytes are in the layer of basal cells at the deepest part of the epidermis.

Skin cancer can occur anywhere on the body, but it is most common in skin that is often exposed to sunlight, such as the face, neck, hands, and arms. There are different types of cancer that start in the skin.

Melanoma is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the skin cells called melanocytes (cells that color the skin). Melanocytes are found throughout the lower part of the epidermis. They make melanin, the pigment that gives skin its natural color.

Additional Information

• Learn more about melanoma

More Information

Here are some resources for learning more about melanoma of the skin.

• More about risk factors for melanoma
• More about symptoms and diagnosis of melanoma
• More about treatment options for melanoma
• More about clinical trials
• More about cancer prevention

References

All statistics in this report are based on statistics from SEER and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics. Most can be found within SEER*Explorer.

Suggested Citation

All material in this report is in the public domain and may be reproduced or copied without permission; citation as to source, however, is appreciated.

SEER Cancer Stat Facts: Melanoma of the Skin. National Cancer Institute. Bethesda, MD, https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/melan.html