According to the American Cancer Society:

Cancer of the skin is by far the most common of all cancers. Melanoma accounts for only about 1% of skin cancers but causes a large majority of skin cancer deaths.

How common is melanoma?

The American Cancer Society’s estimates for melanoma in the United States for 2020 are:

• About 100,350 new melanomas will be diagnosed (about 60,190 in men and 40,160 in women).

• About 6,850 people are expected to die of melanoma (about 4,610 men and 2,240 women).

The rates of melanoma have been rising rapidly over the past few decades, but this has varied by age.

Who is more susceptible to developing melanoma? Again, according to the American Cancer Society:

Melanoma is more than 20 times more common in whites than in African Americans. Overall, the lifetime risk of getting melanoma is about 2.6% (1 in 38) for whites, 0.1% (1 in 1,000) for blacks, and 0.6% (1 in 167) for Hispanics. The risk for each person can be affected by a number of different factors, which are described in Risk Factors for Melanoma Skin Cancer.

Melanoma is more common in men overall, but before age 50 the rates are higher in women than in men.

The risk of melanoma increases as people age. The average age of people when it is diagnosed is 65. But melanoma is not uncommon even among those younger than 30. In fact, it’s one of the most common cancers in young adults (especially young women).

We’ve all heard that the ultraviolet rays from the sun is the greatest cause of melanoma skin cancer, so naturally, states known for their sunshine are supposed to have the highest per capita rates of melanoma skin cancer, but you may be surprised to learn that this is not necessarily the case.

I spent most of my life in sunny Arizona and was told that our state, at least in the desert, averaged over 300 dun days a year and that it had a high rate of melanoma skin cancer cases, but a recent report revealed that Arizona was ranked right in the middle at #25.

Which states ranked the highest? Starting at number one, they are Hawaii, Utah, Delaware, Georgia and California. Yep, Delaware was #3 and perhaps even more surprising was learning that Vermont ranked #7. It’s hard to believe that Delaware and Vermont ranked higher than Florida who came in at #9. Other New England states that ranked higher in cases of melanoma than Arizona include New Jersey #14, New Hampshire #16, New York $22 and Rhode Island at #24.

Check out the map below to see where your state ranks. You will probably be surprised, I know I was.

Yes, it’s true that sunlight is a major cause of melanoma skin cancer, but what most people fail to realize is that in some areas, it’s not just the sunlight, but the amount of UV light coming through. For instance, many people don’t realize that UV light often passes through many types of cloud cover, so it doesn’t have to be direct sun. certain areas also have higher UV levels than levels.

A second major culprit is tanning salons and tanning beds. They are especially dangerous as they bombard the skin with intense doses of UV light. Yes, this produces a tan by activating the melanin pigments in skin cells, but these tanning devices can also cause a significant amount of skin damage that can lead to melanoma skin cancer.

Bottom line is that you need to be careful to all exposure, even on a cloudy day and wear appropriate strengths of sun screen and apply it regularly. Avoid using tanning booths and salons. Furthermore, see your doctor or dermatologist on a regular basis and don’t think that because you live in a state like Delaware or Vermont that you’re not as likely to develop melanoma skin cancer as those living in sunny Arizona.