More than a million new cases of non-melanoma skin cancers are diagnosed annually in the United States, with the number increasing every year. BCC is the most common form of NMSC, and is responsible for about 80% of new cases every year, while
SCC presents as about 16% of new NMSC cases annually. In addition
to NMSC, it is estimated that about 68,130 new cases of malignant
melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer, will be diagnosed
in the United States this year, with an estimated 8700 deaths.
Another disturbing fact about skin cancer comes from some epidemiological
observations showing an increased risk of other lethal
cancer types in individuals who have a history of skin cancer. This fact combined with the high incidence of skin cancer provides a great impetus for finding new approaches for treating
and preventing skin cancer.