Skin cancer facts

More than 60,000 new cases of skin cancer occur each year. 

There are two types of skin cancer: melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers.

Melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer. This is because it can spread rapidly and be life-threatening if left untreated.

Melanoma is the fourth most common cancer in New Zealand, with about 2,000 cases a year. While non-melanoma skin cancers are very common, the number of deaths is much lower.

In 2005, 156 men and 113 women died from melanoma in New Zealand, while only 68 men and 34 women died from non-melanoma skin cancers (the most recent data available).

Māori and Pacific peoples have a much lower chance of getting melanoma, but often have thicker (more serious) melanomas.