Is melanoma the most dangerous skin cancer?

Melanoma is much less common than the other main types of skin cancer, but it is much more likely to invade nearby tissue and spread to other parts of the body. Most deaths from skin cancer are caused by melanoma.

So while melanoma is not the skin cancer people are most likely to get, it stands apart because of how likely it is to spread. The main types of skin cancer are squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, and melanoma, and skin cancer is the most common type of cancer overall.

The difference comes down to which cell went wrong and where that cell lives. The outer layer of skin, the epidermis, holds three kinds of cells. Squamous cells form the top layer. Basal cells sit under them. Melanocytes, the cells that make the pigment melanin, sit deepest, in the basal cell layer at the very bottom of the epidermis. Basal cell and squamous cell cancers start in the upper layers and rarely spread to other parts of the body. Melanoma starts at the floor of the epidermis, right at the boundary with the dermis below.

Numbers put the pattern in perspective. The American Cancer Society projects about 112,000 new melanoma cases in the United States in 2026, roughly 5.3% of all new cancer cases, and about 8,510 deaths, or 1.4% of all cancer deaths; SEER carries that projection on its melanoma page. Overall 5-year relative survival is 94.7%.

The stage numbers, which track people diagnosed from 2016 through 2022, say more than the totals do. About 77% of melanomas are found while still confined to the spot where they started, and 5-year relative survival at that stage is 100.0%. About 10% are found after spreading to nearby lymph nodes, with survival at 76.0%. About 5% are found after spreading to distant parts of the body, and there survival falls to 34.0%. Melanoma is dangerous, and it is also usually caught early. The entire distance between those two facts is made up of noticing a mole.

That is what the ABCDE rule is for. A is asymmetry, meaning the two halves do not match. B is an irregular border. C is more than one color. D is diameter, since melanoma is usually larger than 6 millimeters. E is evolving, meaning it changes in size, shape, or color over time. Also check with your doctor about a mole that itches, oozes, bleeds, or forms an open sore, and about new moles growing beside an existing one.

Location follows a pattern. In men, melanoma is often found on the trunk or on the head and neck. In women, it forms most often on the arms and legs. Before age 50, rates are higher in women; after 50, they are much higher in men. Melanoma can also start in the eye or in mucous membranes such as the lips.

One correction is worth making. Being White or fair-skinned raises the risk, but anyone can get melanoma, including people with dark skin. NCI keeps a separate page on skin cancer in people with darker skin for exactly this reason.

Melanoma is not the only skin cancer that can kill. Merkel cell carcinoma is very rare, tends to grow quickly, and can spread early. It is the second most common cause of skin cancer death after melanoma. It usually shows up as a fast-growing, painless, firm lump that is red or violet, on skin that gets a lot of sun.

If you have questions about melanoma or your own risk, your healthcare team can help. They can explain what changes in your skin or moles to watch for and how to protect your skin from UV radiation.