Skin cancer is the most commonly diagnosed form of cancer in the United States and, according to the American Cancer Society’s (ACA) new annual report, it’s on the rise: The organization estimates that the number of new melanoma cases diagnosed in 2026 will be 10.6 percent higher than in 2025.
Now, this isn’t exactly something to freak out about—at least not yet. Deborah S. Sarnoff, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and president of The Skin Cancer Foundation, says that advancements in dermoscopy (non-invasive skin imaging) and other new technologies contribute to higher rates of diagnoses for melanoma. Better tools (and hopefully, more frequent skin checks) mean more cases that might not have been caught otherwise. But, she adds, “We also have an aging population here in the United States, and as people live longer with cumulative sun exposure, their chances of developing skin cancer are higher.” It’s true: A sunburn you got as a teenager can, in fact, be part of the reason why you receive a skin cancer diagnosis today.
The report also reveals that in the past decade, the number of new invasive melanoma cases diagnosed annually increased by 46.6 percent, which Dr. Sarnoff calls “alarming.” Almost 90 percent of melanomas, she says, are linked to UV radiation, mostly from good old-fashioned sun exposure but also from indoor tanning. “We now have a population that tried tanning beds for the first time as young adults who are now reaching midlife and dealing with this potentially life-threatening disease as a consequence of exposure to high levels of UV radiation earlier in life,” says Dr. Sarnoff.
Unfortunately, the new generation hasn’t necessarily learned from the previous ones’ mistakes. Gen Z’s infatuation with crisping up in artificial sunlight could also be contributing to the rise in skin cancer. The trend continues despite years of evidence of the dangers of tanning beds, including a study published just this past December out of Northwestern Medicine and the University of California, San Francisco, which found that tanning bed usage triples the risk of skin cancer and that UV light from tanning beds causes “melanoma-linked DNA damage across nearly the entire skin surface.”
While that sounds bleak, do keep in mind that more people are surviving the deadliest form of the disease—invasive melanoma—than ever before. The ACA report also states that mortality rates have dropped two to three percent a year over the last decade, thanks to advances in treatment and increased awareness about skin cancer.
Although factors like genetics can increase your risk of getting skin cancer, there are many measures you can take to protect yourself—like limiting your time in direct sunlight, wearing an SPF 30 (or higher!) every day, and staying far, far away from tanning beds. And please, please don’t put off getting your skin checked. “When caught in its earliest stages, melanoma has a 99 percent survival rate,” Dr. Sarnoff says. “So please, see your dermatologist for an annual skin exam—or more often if you’re at high risk—and check your skin monthly for anything new, changing or unusual.”
More news to know:
