What to know
- CDC leads efforts to reduce illness and death caused by skin cancer, the most common form of cancer in the United States. Some activities are listed below.
Melanoma Dashboard
The Melanoma Dashboard was created in partnership with CDC's Environmental Public Health Tracking Program to help communities address their unique melanoma prevention needs. It provides state- and county-level data on melanoma incidence, melanoma mortality, and UV irradiance. It also provides information about state policies regarding minors' access to indoor tanning devices and sunscreen use at schools.
Research and surveillance
- A study looked at the cost of skin cancer treatment in the United States. During 2016 to 2018, more than 6 million adults were treated for skin cancer each year. The overall estimated annual costs were nearly $9 billion.
- A study examined beliefs about sunscreen use among non-Hispanic White adults aged 50 years or older using online survey data.
- A study looked at the contexts in which sunburns often occur. Swimming or spending time in water, working outside at home, traveling or vacationing, and engaging in physical activity other than swimming were the most frequently reported activities.
- Two studies used national data to examine indoor tanning and found that indoor tanning is declining in the United States among both high school students and adults. However, nearly 900,000 high school students and 8 million adults still tan each year.
See all of CDC's skin cancer research.