U.S. Melanoma Rate Is Rising

1 in every 54 Americans will develop invasive form of the skin cancer in their lifetime

More Americans are developing the potentially deadly skin cancer known as melanoma than in the past, new research shows.

In 2016, one out of every 54 Americans was expected to develop a potentially lethal, invasive melanoma over their lifetime -- up from the one in 58 estimate when the same tally was performed in 2009.

Overall, an estimated 76,380 Americans will be diagnosed with melanoma in 2016, said a team led by Dr. Alex Glazer of the National Society for Cutaneous Medicine in New York City.

"The overall burden of disease for melanoma is increasing," Glazer's team reported in a study published online Dec. 21 in JAMA Dermatology.

Skin cancers are by far the most common cancer for Americans. Most are easily treated and removed, but melanomas can be much more serious. According to the American Cancer Society, "melanoma accounts for only about 1 percent of skin cancers but causes a large majority of skin cancer deaths."

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