The most common cancer in the United States is more widespread than the figure the country has relied on for more than a decade, according to a new analysis by SkinCure Oncology. The company estimates that approximately 4.7 million Americans are diagnosed with nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) each year, 42 percent higher than the previously reported 3.3 million, or nearly 13,000 individuals every day.
The earlier figure stems from research published in 2015 using data collected in 2012. NMSC, which includes basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, remains the most common cancer in the country, yet the United States lacks a comprehensive system for tracking its two most common forms. The updated estimate, detailed in a new analysis, accounts for the growth of the older population, historical growth in diagnoses and independent federal healthcare survey data. Since 2012, the U.S. population aged 65 and older has grown nearly 50 percent, reaching roughly 64 million in 2026, and NMSC disproportionately affects older Americans.
The revised number matters because NMSC, while highly treatable when detected early, is a serious disease that can cause significant tissue damage, disfigurement and, in some cases, life-threatening complications. Accurate counts shape how prevention, early detection and treatment access are prioritized. "Skin cancer deserves far more attention than it receives," said Kerwin Brandt, CEO of SkinCure Oncology. "Accurate information about the millions of Americans affected each year is essential to improving prevention, early detection, access to treatment and patient outcomes." The company is calling for the establishment of a national database to track the disease.
Treatment options have also advanced alongside the growing patient population. Surgery, including Mohs micrographic surgery, remains an effective and widely used approach, but for appropriate patients, nonsurgical alternatives offer equally impressive results with no cutting, pain or need for subsequent cosmetic surgery. One established approach, Image-Guided Superficial Radiation Therapy (IGSRT), combines low-energy X-rays with high-resolution ultrasound imaging to treat skin cancer without surgery. Published clinical studies involving thousands of early-stage lesions have reported local control rates exceeding 99 percent.
GentleCure®, offered through participating dermatology practices by SkinCure Oncology, incorporates IGSRT into a comprehensive, cancer center-level model of care delivered in the dermatologist's office. Despite such advances, many patients still do not learn about nonsurgical alternatives unless they ask. "Patients deserve to know all their treatment options," Brandt said. "Our goal is to ensure patients fully understand their options, and encourage them to work with their physicians to select the optimum approach." For patients and families, the takeaway is twofold: the disease is more common than long assumed, and more treatment choices exist than many patients realize. More information about nonsurgical skin cancer treatment options and the nearest provider of the GentleCure Experience is available at GentleCure.com.
