Skin Cancer Epidemiology and Characteristics

Introduction to Skin Cancer

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network recommends that skin cancers, including basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, are the most common types of skin cancer, accounting for more than 98% of all skin cancer cases 1, 2

The American Academy of Family Physicians notes that basal cell carcinoma is the most common cancer in the United States, with approximately 2 million new cases diagnosed annually, exceeding the incidence of all other cancers combined 3, 4
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that basal cell carcinoma accounts for about 75% of all skin cancers, while squamous cell carcinoma accounts for about 20% 5, 6
Basal cell carcinomas are approximately 4 to 5 times more frequent than squamous cell carcinomas 1, 7
The Journal of the American Medical Association reports that melanoma, although much less frequent (about 1% of skin cancers), is responsible for the majority of skin cancer-related deaths 8, 6

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines state that basal cell carcinoma develops primarily on sun-exposed areas (sun or therapeutic radiation) 3, 9
Basal cell carcinoma has a slow growth rate, is locally invasive, and may ulcerate centrally 9
The American Academy of Dermatology notes that basal cell carcinoma presents with various morphological forms: nodular, cystic, superficial, sclerosing, keratotic, and pigmented 9
Basal cell carcinoma rarely metastasizes (<0.1%) but can cause substantial local destruction and disfigurement 1, 3, 9
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that squamous cell carcinoma is more likely to spread to lymph nodes and internal organs than basal cell carcinoma 5, 6
The Journal of the American Medical Association states that melanoma represents about 1% of skin cancers but causes more deaths than basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas combined 8
The 5-year survival rate for melanoma varies significantly depending on the stage: 99.5% for localized stages versus 31.9% for metastatic stages 8

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines state that exposure to ultraviolet radiation (sun, tanning beds) is a risk factor for skin cancer 5, 8, 9
The American Academy of Family Physicians notes that fair skin, red or blond hair, and light eyes are risk factors for skin cancer 1, 9
A history of frequent sunburns, particularly during childhood, is a risk factor for skin cancer 9
Advanced age and male sex are risk factors for skin cancer 8, 9
Immunosuppression and a history of radiation therapy are risk factors for skin cancer 9
A high number of moles or the presence of atypical moles (for melanoma) is a risk factor for skin cancer 8

The American Academy of Family Physicians states that non-melanoma skin cancers are rarely fatal (less than 0.1% of deaths are caused by these types of cancer) 2, 10
The incidence of melanoma has more than doubled since 1973, from 5.7 to 14.3 cases per 100,000 people in 1998 5, 6
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines recommend that basal cell carcinoma of the basosquamous type has characteristics of both basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, with a higher metastatic potential than typical basal cell carcinoma 3, 9