How Skin Cancer Rates Vary across the Globe

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer and it is on the rise because older people make up a larger share of the population. The main cause of skin cancer is exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays, but the risk varies greatly across the globe because of differences in skin pigmentation According to the American Cancer Society, skin melanoma is more common in whites than in blacks. White people with fair skin, blue eyes and blond hair are more prone to susceptibility.

There are reasons to be optimistic. New treatments for skin cancer, including immunotherapy, have helped raise survival rates, which are now around 93 percent after five years for people diagnosed with melanoma.

The Where and When of Sunburns in the U.S.

The American Journal of Preventive Medicine analyzed a survey of more than 4,000 people to find out what they were doing when they were sunburned. Exposure that doesn't lead to a burn can still be harmful, despite the fact that sunburns are a major risk factor for skin cancer. Don't think you're safe just because you're not getting sunburned.

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