Skin cancer
Illustration picture
All layers of the skin can give rise to cancer development. Skin cancer is divided into melanoma, which is considered a separate type of cancer, and non-melanoma skin cancer. The two largest histological subgroups of non-melanoma skin cancer are basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma.
Basal cell carcinoma is the most common form of skin cancer and is not recorded in the Cancer Registry's statistics. However, based on incidence in Sweden, it is estimated that there are 20 000-25 000 new cases annually in Norway. This type of cancer is often referred to as the "mild" type, as it has a very good prognosis. It is a type of cancer that very rarely spreads to other parts of the body, but it still needs to be treated because it will continue to grow and cause local damage to the skin.
Among the reportable diagnoses, squamous cell carcinoma constitutes the largest group of skin cancer. The other subgroups are significantly rarer, with 5-20 new cases annually. It is squamous cell carcinomas for which we present results on this page.
Source: kreftlex.no
Risik factors
The main cause of skin cancer is sun exposure on unprotected skin and prolonged exposure to weather elements. Therefore, the face is particularly vulnerable. The lighter the skin, the greater the risk.
Long-term use of medications that suppress the immune system (for example, after organ transplantation) and previous radiation therapy can increase the risk.
Chronic irritation conditions and the hereditary conditions Gorlin syndrome and xeroderma pigmentosum are also risk factors.
The incidence of skin cancer increases with age.
Read more about the causes of skin cancer on kreftforeningen.no
Read more about cancer prevention on kreftregisteret.no
New cases
Skin cancer is the third most common type of cancer among men and the fourth most common among women in Norway. A total of 3059 new cases of skin cancer were registered in 2023, with 1668 cases in men and 1391 in women. The incidence rate, the number of cases per 100.000, is 60,5 for men and 40,5 for women.
Age distribution
The median age for skin cancer is 79 years, meaning that half of all those diagnosed are over 79 years old.
The highest incidence is also among people aged 70-80 years.
Survival
Basal cell carcinoma has a survival rate of over 90% with modern treatment, although multiple treatment modalities are often required. The challenge, however, is that new lesions tend to appear over time, necessitating repeated treatments. This is particularly true for hereditary forms and immunosuppressed patients.
For squamous cell carcinoma, the survival rate is also good for localized disease, but the risk of spreading through the lymphatic and blood systems is higher for this disease. If the disease spreads via the bloodstream, it is essentially incurable.
Survival after skin cancer
As of December 31, 2022, there were 20.857 people living in Norway who had been diagnosed with skin cancer at some point in their medical history—this is known as prevalence. Of these, 8243 were diagnosed less than five years ago, and 4964 are long-term survivors, having been diagnosed more than 10 years ago.
Over the past 10 years, there have been more than 8500 additional cancer survivors following skin cancer.
Number of deaths
In 2021, 33 men and 24 women died from skin cancer.
Developement over time
As the population grows and ages, the number of skin cancer cases is increasing. The incidence of skin cancer has doubled in the last 10 years.
Questions about cancer
The Cancer Registry is a research institution. Therefore, our specialists do not answer questions about diagnosis, investigation, treatment, or follow-up from patients or their relatives.
Questions about this topic should be addressed to your own GP, treating institution or The counseling service at the Norwegian Cancer Society phone: 21 49 49 21
Useful links
Les om hudkreft på helsenorge.no
