Overview of skin cancer types and prevalence rates across continents - Review article

Sep 21, 2026

Uploaded by Ophelia

Skin cancer is among the most prevalent malignancies worldwide, with incidence and mortality continuing to rise, largely in regions with white-skinned populations. Different skin cancer types vary in origin, clinical presentation, and overall extent, while continents show distinct prevalence patterns. This review synthesizes literature from major electronic databases (2000–2024) to summarize cancer types, clinical features, and worldwide prevalence, including melanoma and non-melanoma trends.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages12

Reading Time30 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Cancer classification and prevalence

Melanoma overview

Non-melanoma overview

Review scope and literature search

Databases and keywords (2000–2024)

Worldwide prevalence across continents

Incidence and mortality patterns

Conclusions and future research

Cancer Pathogenesis and Therapy 3 (2025) 89–100 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Cancer Pathogenesis and Therapy journal [homepage:](homepage: www.journals.elsevier.com/cancer-pathogenesis-and-therapy)[ www.journals.elsevier.com/cancer-pathogenesis-and-therapy](homepage: www.journals.elsevier.com/cancer-pathogenesis-and-therapy) Review article Overview of skin cancer types and prevalence rates across continents Amdad Hossain Roky a, b, Mohammed Murshedul Islamb, c, Abu Mohammed Fuad Ahasan a, b, Md Saqline Mostaqd, Md Zihad Mahmud e, Mohammad Nurul Amin b, d, Md Ashiq Mahmud d, * a Department of Pharmacy, International Islamic University Chittagong, Chattogram 4318, Bangladesh b Pratyasha Health Biomedical Research Center, Dhaka 1230, Bangladesh c Department of Pharmacy, Daffodil International University, Dhaka 1216, Bangladesh d School of Basic Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Louisiana at Monroe, Monroe, LA 71209-0497, USA e Pioneer Dental College and Hospital, Dhaka 1229, Bangladesh H I G H L I G H T S G R A P H I C A L A B S T R A C T | 􀀁 Skin cancers are highly prevalent in white-skinned populations with sunburns; basal cell carcinoma is the most prevalent.
􀀁 Australia and New Zealand have the highest incidence rates of skin cancers.
􀀁 The highest incidence and mortality rates of melanoma skin cancer were recorded in Europe.
􀀁 The highest incidence and mortality rates of non-melanoma skin cancers were recorded in North America and Asia.
􀀁 The incidence of non-melanoma skin cancer is 18–20 higher than melanoma skin cancer, resulting in more deaths. | | --- | | A R T I C L E I N F O | | Managing Editor: Peng Lyu | Keywords: Skin cancer Prevalence Melanoma Non-melanoma Melanoma types Mortality rate | | | --- | | A B S T R A C T | Skin cancer is one of the most prevalent cancers in the world, and its incidence and mortality rates are increasing continuously, mostly in regions with white-skinned inhabitants. The types of skin cancer vary in their origin and clinical appearances and also differ in their extensiveness. The continents of the world have different scenarios of skin cancer prevalence. This review aims to explore the different types of skin cancer, their clinical features, and their worldwide prevalence based on the literature. Literature from different electronic databases, including Google Scholar, ResearchGate, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Elsevier, and Springer, were collected through a literature search using speciﬁc keywords such as “skin cancer”, “skin cancer types”, “melanoma”, “non-melanoma”, “skin cancer continental prevalence” or similar keywords. The search included English publications from 2000 to 2024. Melanoma skin cancer (MSC) ranks 17th in global prevalence, with the highest incidence and deaths occurring in Europe, However, Australia and New Zealand record the highest incidence and mortality rates. Asia has a lower incidence * Corresponding author: School of Basic Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Louisiana at Monroe, Monroe, LA 71209- 0497, USA. E-mail [address:](address: mahmudashiq0@gmail.com)[ mahmudashiq0@gmail.com](address: mahmudashiq0@gmail.com) (M.A. Mahmud). [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpt.2024.08.002](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpt.2024.08.002) Received 4 March 2024; Received in revised form 1 August 2024; Accepted 4 August 2024 2949-7132/© 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Chinese Medical Association (CMA). This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license ([http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)). A.H. Roky et al. Cancer Pathogenesis and Therapy 3 (2025) 89–100 rate of melanoma, but a higher mortality rate. Superﬁcial spreading melanoma (SSM) is the most common

FAQs

What are the two major types of skin cancer discussed in the review?

The review groups skin cancer into melanoma skin cancer (MSC) and non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSCs), which together account for more than 90% of all skin cancers.

Which continent is reported to have the highest incidence and mortality of melanoma?

Europe is reported as having the highest incidence and mortality rates of melanoma skin cancer in the review’s summary of prevalence patterns.

How do non-melanoma and melanoma differ in incidence and deaths according to the review?

The review indicates that non-melanoma skin cancer has an incidence higher than melanoma and is associated with more deaths, including patterns that peak across regions such as North America, Asia, and Australia/New Zealand.

Sep 21, 2026

Uploaded by Ophelia