Skin cancer facts & stats

More than two in three Australians will be diagnosed with skin cancer in their lifetime. ¹

About 2,000 Australians die from skin cancer each year. ²

Australia has one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world. ³

Medicare records show there were over a million treatments for squamous and basal cell carcinoma skin cancers in 2023 – that’s more than 100 skin cancer treatments every hour. ⁴

The costs to the Federal Government and the community from basal and squamous cell carcinomas are predicted to continue to increase in the future. ⁵

In 2023, 3,182 Victorians were diagnosed with melanoma and 276 lost their lives. ⁶

It is estimated that approximately 200 melanomas and 34,000 other skin cancer types per year are caused by occupational exposures in Australia. ⁷

It is estimated that approximately 200 melanomas and 34,000 other skin cancer types per year are caused by occupational exposures in Australia.

References

1. Olsen C, Pandeya N, Green A, Ragaini B, Venn A, Whiteman D. Keratinocyte cancer incidence in Australia: a review of population-based incidence trends and estimates of lifetime risk. Public Health Res Pract 2022.

2. Australian Government Department of Human Services. Medicare Item Reports, 2023: Australian Government Department of Human Services. 2024. Retrieved from: http://medicarestatistics.humanservices.gov.au/statistics/mbs_item.jsp. Accessed on 17 March.

3. Karimkhani C, Green AC, Nijsten T, Weinstock MA, Dellavalle RP, Naghavi M, Fitzmaurice C. The global burden of melanoma: results from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015. Br J Dermatol 2017; 177(1): 134-40.

4. Australian Government Department of Human Services. Medicare Item Reports, 2023: Australian Government Department of Human Services. 2024. Retrieved from: http://medicarestatistics.humanservices.gov.au/statistics/mbs_item.jsp Accessed on 17 March.

5. Fransen M, Karahalios A, Sharma N, English DR, Giles GG, Sinclair RD. Non-melanoma skin cancer in Australia. Med J Aust. 2012;197(10):565–8.

6. Victorian Cancer Registry. Cancer in Victoria, 2023. Cancer Council Victoria: East Melbourne, 2024. Available from: https://www.cancervic.org.au/downloads/cec/cancer-in-vic/Cancer%20in%20Victoria%202023.pdf.

7. Fritschi L, Driscoll T. Cancer due to occupation in Australia. Aust N Z Public Health. 2006;30(3):213–9

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Position statements

Cancer Council Australia’s Skin Cancer Committee has developed position statements and fact sheets addressing common myths and misunderstandings to help Australians reduce their skin cancer risk.

Many of these have been developed with input from other expert health organisations, particularly the Australasian College of Dermatologists.

These include:

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Skin cancer facts & stats

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Position statements

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