Cancer of the skin is the most common of all cancers. Melanoma is much less common than basal cell and squamous cell skin cancer, but it is far more serious. Due to the nature of the melanoma cell, it has the highest tendency of any primary cancer to produce multiple metastases in the brain, followed by lung and breast cancers.
- Approximately 1.3 million Americans are diagnosed with skin cancer each year.
- The American Cancer Society estimates there will be 57,796 new cases of melanoma in the United States in 2007.
- Almost half of all Americans will have some type of skin cancer at least once in their life by the time they reach age 65.
Melanoma Patients Information Page
