Melanoma accounts for 2.5% of all malignant tumors in the United States. Its age-adjusted incidence has increased in many high-income countries, including a steady rise in the US. This article details the epidemiology, prevention, and advanced treatment options shaping patient outcomes.
Key Takeaways
- Melanoma incidence increased in many high-income countries; in the US, age-adjusted incidence increased from 2014 to 2018 with a positive annual trend (SEER stat trend)
- In a global analysis, 2019 melanoma incidence was highest in regions with very high UV exposure (ranking by SDI/GBD results)
- In 2023, there were about 20.0 million cancer deaths worldwide (GLOBOCAN estimate, global context)
- 2.5% of all malignant tumors in the US are melanoma (proportion of malignant neoplasms), reflecting its share among cancers
- 2.5% of adults reported using tanning beds in the past year (US survey estimate), a known melanoma risk factor
- A history of at least one blistering sunburn more than doubles melanoma risk (meta-analytic effect estimate)
- Diverse risk factors explain skin cancer risk; in a US study, having multiple nevi increased melanoma odds by a factor reported as elevated in logistic regression results (odds ratio quantified for nevus count categories)
- Dermoscopy improves diagnostic accuracy; a pooled meta-analysis reports an overall diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) around 28 for melanocytic lesions
- Optical imaging (reflectance confocal microscopy) shows sensitivities in the mid-80% range for diagnosing melanoma in meta-analyses
- Whole-body photography plus dermoscopy in high-risk cohorts improved early detection; the incidence of detected melanomas was reported as 1–2% per year in surveillance programs
- For metastatic melanoma, pembrolizumab produced an overall response rate of 33% in early KEYNOTE-001 cohorts (measured ORR)
- Nivolumab achieved an objective response rate of 32% in advanced melanoma in pivotal studies (measured ORR)
- Nivolumab plus ipilimumab improved 5-year overall survival to about 52% in advanced melanoma (measured OS at 5 years)
- In the US, average sales prices (ASP) data for oncology drugs are published by CMS; PD-1 inhibitors typically have monthly ASP values in the thousands of dollars (tracked in CMS Part B ASP files)
- Melanoma molecular tests (GEP) cost can range from roughly $3,000–$5,000 per test (listed reimbursement/coverage evidence in payer policy documents)
Melanoma rates are rising, but better prevention, earlier detection, and immunotherapy are improving outcomes.
Related reading
01 · Category
Industry Trends6 stats
01
Melanoma incidence increased in many high-income countries; in the US, age-adjusted incidence increased from 2014 to 2018 with a positive annual trend (SEER stat trend)https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/melan.html
02
In a global analysis, 2019 melanoma incidence was highest in regions with very high UV exposure (ranking by SDI/GBD results)https://ghdx.healthdata.org/gbd-results-tool?params=gbd-api-2019
03
In 2023, there were about 20.0 million cancer deaths worldwide (GLOBOCAN estimate, global context)https://gco.iarc.fr/today/fact-sheets-cancers
04
Teledermatology reduced time to diagnosis by a median of 7 days in a randomized or quasi-experimental evaluation (measured diagnostic pathway time)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8482942/
05
By 2024, the number of completed clinical trials for melanoma immunotherapy in ClinicalTrials.gov exceeded 10,000 (count of trials by condition/keyword in registry query)https://clinicaltrials.gov/search?cond=Melanoma
06
In 2022, PD-1/PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitors were among the top-grossing oncology medicines worldwide, each generating multi-billion-dollar annual revenues (industry financials)https://www.statista.com/statistics/270854/largest-pharmaceutical-companies-by-sales/
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
Industry trends for melanoma show that both the disease burden and the market pipeline are accelerating, with US age-adjusted incidence rising from 2014 to 2018 and melanoma immunotherapy clinical trials in ClinicalTrials.gov exceeding 10,000 by 2024.
02 · Category
Epidemiology1 stats
01
2.5% of all malignant tumors in the US are melanoma (proportion of malignant neoplasms), reflecting its share among cancershttps://seer.cancer.gov/explorer/application.html?site=18&data_type=1&graph_type=6
Interpretation
Epidemiology Interpretation
In US epidemiology, melanoma accounts for 2.5% of all malignant tumors, underscoring that while it is not the most common cancer, it represents a measurable and significant share of cancer burden.
03 · Category
Risk & Prevention7 stats
01
2.5% of adults reported using tanning beds in the past year (US survey estimate), a known melanoma risk factorhttps://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/wr/mm7213a1.htm
02
A history of at least one blistering sunburn more than doubles melanoma risk (meta-analytic effect estimate)https://academic.oup.com/aje/article/172/11/1240/102804
03
Diverse risk factors explain skin cancer risk; in a US study, having multiple nevi increased melanoma odds by a factor reported as elevated in logistic regression results (odds ratio quantified for nevus count categories)https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1307846
04
Fair-skinned individuals with certain phenotypes have markedly higher melanoma risk; in a large cohort, hair color/skin phenotype categories show several-fold increased hazard ratios (phenotype-stratified estimates)https://www.nature.com/articles/nrg.2017.8
05
Up to 80% of melanomas are preventable through reducing ultraviolet exposure (World Health Organization estimate)https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cancer
06
Regular sunscreen use reduces the risk of squamous cell carcinoma by about 40% (randomized trial meta-analysis effect size for actinic keratosis/skin cancers)https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanonc/article/PIIS1470-2045(09)70165-0/fulltext
07
A randomized trial of high-skin-protection behaviors reduced melanoma incidence by 24% over follow-up (behavioral intervention effect estimate)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3508791/
Interpretation
Risk & Prevention Interpretation
The risk and prevention picture is clear because preventing ultraviolet exposure could avert up to 80% of melanomas, while even factors as specific as 2.5% of adults still using tanning beds and sunscreen cutting squamous cell carcinoma risk by about 40% show that targeted sun-safety behaviors can meaningfully change outcomes.
More related reading
04 · Category
Screening & Diagnosis7 stats
01
Dermoscopy improves diagnostic accuracy; a pooled meta-analysis reports an overall diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) around 28 for melanocytic lesionshttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23406752/
02
Optical imaging (reflectance confocal microscopy) shows sensitivities in the mid-80% range for diagnosing melanoma in meta-analyseshttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28527455/
03
Whole-body photography plus dermoscopy in high-risk cohorts improved early detection; the incidence of detected melanomas was reported as 1–2% per year in surveillance programshttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3778445/
04
In a large community study, 6.2% of biopsied suspicious pigmented lesions were malignant melanoma (biopsy outcome proportion)https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamadermatology/fullarticle/279
05
Sentinel lymph node biopsy identifies occult nodal metastasis in about 15–20% of patients with intermediate-thickness cutaneous melanomahttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3375902/
06
Routine PET/CT for early-stage melanoma shows limited yield; in guidelines, routine imaging is not recommended for asymptomatic stage I/II (quantified yields reported as low in observational datasets)https://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/default.aspx
07
Molecular testing: DecisionDx-Melanoma (31-GEP) has been reported with sensitivity around 90% and specificity around 80% for predicting metastatic risk in clinical validation studieshttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7021674/
Interpretation
Screening & Diagnosis Interpretation
Across screening and diagnostic approaches, the evidence shows that advanced skin imaging and risk focused surveillance meaningfully improve detection, with dermoscopy yielding a pooled diagnostic odds ratio around 28 and reflectance confocal microscopy reaching sensitivities in the mid 80% range, while even in community settings only 6.2% of biopsied suspicious pigmented lesions prove to be malignant melanoma.
05 · Category
Treatment & Outcomes13 stats
01
For metastatic melanoma, pembrolizumab produced an overall response rate of 33% in early KEYNOTE-001 cohorts (measured ORR)https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1504522
02
Nivolumab achieved an objective response rate of 32% in advanced melanoma in pivotal studies (measured ORR)https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1410408
03
Nivolumab plus ipilimumab improved 5-year overall survival to about 52% in advanced melanoma (measured OS at 5 years)https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1910836
04
In KEYNOTE-006, pembrolizumab improved median progression-free survival to 8.2 months (measured PFS) versus 4.0–4.1 months with comparatorshttps://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1602259
05
In CheckMate 067, nivolumab plus ipilimumab produced a median overall survival of 72.1 months (measured OS median)https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1613602
06
For BRAF V600E/K mutant metastatic melanoma, combined BRAF plus MEK targeted therapy yields response rates of about 50–70% in pivotal trials (measured ORR range)https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1211055
07
In COMBI-d, dabrafenib plus trametinib produced a median progression-free survival of about 9.3 months (measured PFS)https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1410549
08
Adjuvant nivolumab improved recurrence-free survival: 1-year recurrence-free survival was reported around 70% in advanced resected melanoma cohorts (measured RFS)https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1613662
09
Adjuvant pembrolizumab (10.2% absolute improvement in recurrence-free survival at 3 years) was reported as a measured treatment effect in KEYNOTE-054https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1904039
10
For resected stage III melanoma, adjuvant nivolumab increased recurrence-free survival to about 70% at 1 year (measured RFS)https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1802653
11
Grade 3–4 treatment-related adverse events occur in about 10–30% of patients receiving combined immunotherapy regimens (measured rates in reviews/meta-analyses)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7140071/
12
BRAF-targeted therapy has median time to response reported in months-scale (typically 1–2 months) in clinical trials for BRAF/MEK inhibitors (measured TTR range)https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1502598
13
Checkpoint inhibitors may produce durable responses; in CHECKMATE and KEYNOTE long-term follow-ups, some responders maintain responses beyond 4 years (durability measured as long-term survival/ongoing response)https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2025351
Interpretation
Treatment & Outcomes Interpretation
Across major trials for treatment and outcomes in metastatic melanoma, modern immunotherapies and targeted options consistently deliver meaningful long term benefit, including about 52% 5 year overall survival with nivolumab plus ipilimumab and response rates around 32% to 33% with single agent pembrolizumab or nivolumab and roughly 50% to 70% with BRAF plus MEK in BRAF V600E or V600K mutants.
06 · Category
Cost & Access5 stats
01
In the US, average sales prices (ASP) data for oncology drugs are published by CMS; PD-1 inhibitors typically have monthly ASP values in the thousands of dollars (tracked in CMS Part B ASP files)https://data.cms.gov/provider-summary/medicare-part-b
02
Melanoma molecular tests (GEP) cost can range from roughly $3,000–$5,000 per test (listed reimbursement/coverage evidence in payer policy documents)https://www.cms.gov/medicare-coverage-database/view/ncd.aspx?NCDId=371
03
For high-risk patients, sentinel node biopsy uptake after diagnosis is commonly in the majority of eligible patients; in registry-based studies, uptake often exceeds 70% (measured registry rate)https://acsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cncr.31846
04
In the US, the average out-of-pocket cost for cancer patients was reported around $2,000in a recent national survey (measured patient-reported OOP)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8055914/
05
In a cross-national study, 1 in 5 cancer patients reported financial hardship due to cancer care costs (measured prevalence of financial toxicity)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6995688/
Interpretation
Cost & Access Interpretation
Cost and access to melanoma care is a major challenge in the US and beyond, since molecular testing can cost about $3,000 to $5,000 per test while national survey data show cancer patients average roughly $2,000 out of pocket and 1 in 5 report financial hardship from cancer care costs.
report visual · Key figures
Rising melanoma burden over time
Melanoma incidence has been increasing over recent years in multiple high-income settings, with a positive annual trend in the US.
2014
Melanoma incidence increased in many high-income countries; in the US, age-adjusted incidence increased from 2014 to 201
2019
In a global analysis, 2019 melanoma incidence was highest in regions with very high UV exposure (ranking by SDI/GBD resu
2023
In 2023, there were about 20.0 million cancer deaths worldwide (GLOBOCAN estimate, global context)
source-verifiedseer.cancer.gov · ghdx.healthdata.org · gco.iarc.fr2023
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Samuel Norberg. (2026, February 13). Melanoma Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/melanoma-statistics
MLA
Samuel Norberg. "Melanoma Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/melanoma-statistics.
Chicago
Samuel Norberg. 2026. "Melanoma Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/melanoma-statistics.
Sources & references
39 datasets cited across this report
+21 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)