Skin cancer is one of the most common and fastest-growing types of cancer worldwide. According to the World Health Organization, between 2–3 million non-melanoma and 132,000 melanoma skin cancers are diagnosed globally every year. That means one in every three cancers is a skin cancer [1].
The numbers continue to rise:
- In the United States, over 87,000 new melanoma cases were reported in 2017, resulting in nearly 10,000 deaths - a 26% increase since 2009 [2].
- In Australia, where awareness and prevention programs are strong, melanoma still causes death in about 11% of cases, and incidence rates are climbing [3].
- Even non-melanoma skin cancers, which are generally less dangerous, have a 1% mortality rate [4].
If current trends continue, half a million people could die from skin cancer over the next decade.
At SkinVision, our mission is to help reverse this trend. By empowering millions to check their skin regularly and detect changes early, we aim to cut annual deaths in half - saving an estimated 250,000 lives in the next ten years.
References:
[1] World Health Organization. (2018). Radiation: Ultraviolet (UV) radiation and skin cancer. http://www.who.int/uv/faq/skincancer/en/index1.html
[2] Siegel, R. L., Miller, K. D., & Jemal, A. (2017). Cancer statistics, 2017. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, 67(1), 7–30. https://doi.org/10.3322/caac.21387
[3] Cancer Australia. (2018). Melanoma statistics. https://melanoma.canceraustralia.gov.au/statistics
[4] Cancer Research UK. (2018). Skin cancer mortality statistics. http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/statistics-by-cancer-type/skin-cancer/mortality