Skin Cancer Rates Doubled in the Last 30 Years

The rate of diagnoses for the deadliest form of skin cancer has more than doubled since the early 1980s, greatly raising the cost of medical care.

According to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study released Tuesday, the melanoma rate has increased from 11.2 cases per 100,000 people in 1982 to 22.7 cases per 100,000 in 2011.

The annual cost of treating melanoma is likely to nearly triple from $457 million in 2011 to $1.6 billion in 2030.

“Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer, and it’s on the rise,” said CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden. “Protect yourself from the sun by wearing a hat and clothes that cover your skin.”

Subscribe to TIME

Get our Health Newsletter. Sign up to receive the latest health and science news, plus answers to wellness questions and expert tips.

Please enter a valid email address.

* The request timed out and you did not successfully sign up. Please attempt to sign up again.

Sign Up Now

An unexpected error has occurred with your sign up. Please try again later.

Check here if you would like to receive subscription offers and other promotions via email from TIME group companies.

You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you!

For your security, we've sent a confirmation email to the address you entered. Click the link to confirm your subscription and begin receiving our newsletters. If you don't get the confirmation within 10 minutes, please check your spam folder.

Contact us at letters@time.com.