Report: Estimated 4.7 Million Americans Diagnosed With NMSC Annually

A new analysis from SkinCure Oncology estimates that 4.7 million Americans are diagnosed with nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) each, approximately 42% higher than a commonly cited estimate based on 2012 data.

The company said the updated estimate could translate to approximately 6.7 million to 7.7 million NMSC lesions annually. The frequently cited benchmark (3.3 million people treated for 5.4 million NMSC lesions) comes from a 2015 study that analyzed 2012 data.

Updated Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer Estimates Reflect an Aging US Population

SkinCure Oncology said that it derived its 4.7 million estimate using 4 approaches. One incorporated US demographic changes, particularly growth in the older population, because the company reports that approximately 80% of NMSC cases occur among individuals aged 60 years or older. Other approaches applied a conservative annual growth rate to earlier incidence estimates, considered historical Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data, and extrapolated the 2006-2012 trajectory. The latter method produced an upper estimate of approximately 5.9 million affected individuals in 2026.

The analysis was presented by SkinCure Oncology rather than reported as a peer-reviewed epidemiologic study, an important limitation when interpreting the estimates.

“This significantly higher estimate of skin cancer incidence, an increase of more than 40 percent, underscores the critical importance of educating the public about skin cancer and providing them access to all available treatment options,” SkinCure Oncology Chief Executive Officer Kerwin Brandt said in a press announcement.

Brandt also called for comprehensive national reporting of NMSC cases through a registry, arguing that improved surveillance could provide a clearer picture of the disease burden in the United States.

Source

Lefton A. Skin Cancer Treatment Journal. 2026.