Body Mole Map

Mole Map: Have Your Skin Checked Annually

Mole Map: When caught early, skin cancer is highly treatable. Here are some important statistics Learn More

  • More people are diagnosed with skin cancer each year in the U.S. than all other cancers combined.2
  • One in five Americans will develop skin cancer by the age of 70.3
  • Actinic keratosis is the most common precancer; it affects more than 58 million Americans.4
  • One person dies of melanoma every hour.2
  • An estimated 178,560 cases of melanoma will be diagnosed in the U.S. in 2018. Of those, 87,290 cases will be in situ (noninvasive), confined to the epidermis (the top layer of skin), and 91,270 cases will be invasive, penetrating the epidermis into the skin’s second layer (the dermis).2
  • An estimated 9,320 people will die of melanoma in 2018: of those, 5,990 will be men and 3,330 will be women.2
  • The vast majority of melanomas are caused by the sun. In fact, one UK study found that about 86% of melanomas can be attributed to exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun.12
  • Compared with stage I melanoma patients treated within 30 days of being biopsied, those treated 30 to 59 days after biopsy have a 5% higher risk of dying from the disease, and those treated more than 119 days after biopsy have a 41%  higher risk.13
  • The estimated five-year survival rate for patients whose melanoma is detected early is about 99% in the U.S. The survival rate falls to 63% when the disease reaches the lymph nodes and 20% when the disease metastasizes to distant organs.2

    Daily use of an SPF 15 or higher sunscreen reduces the risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma by about 40%.1    Download the AAD’s body mole map for information on how to check your skin for the signs of skin cancer. Keep track of the spots on your skin and make note of any changes from year-to-year.  If you notice a mole that is different from others, or that changes, itches or bleeds, you should make an appointment to see one of our board-certified dermatologists at MetroDerm P.C. at one of our 4 locations: Atlanta, Alpharetta, Lilburn or Hiram, Georgia.

Make an appointment if you have a suspicious-looking mole or for a routine mole check.  The experts at MetroDerm will make you feel at ease.

Mole Map: Use these additional resources to help you detect skin cancer: