Health
Significant increase in skin cancer treatments in clinics
A dermatologist examines a patient with a reflected light microscope during a cancer screening. Photo
© Eva Manhart/dpa
Sunlight poses health risks: Excessive UV radiation can cause diseases such as skin cancer. The number of inpatient skin cancer treatments in Germany has increased significantly within 20 years.
Over the past 20 years, the number of hospital treatments for Skin cancer has increased significantly. According to the Federal Statistical Office, more than 109,000 people diagnosed with skin cancer were treated in hospital nationwide in 2022. That was a good 75 percent more cases than in 2002.
According to the report, treatments for non-melanoma skin cancer in particular have increased. They have more than doubled within 20 years, to 84,500 cases in 2022. There were around 25,000 inpatient treatments for black skin cancer – known in technical jargon as melanoma – in 2022, 14 percent more than in 2002. According to the information, non-melanoma skin cancer in particular is suspected of being triggered by sunlight. However, it is usually easy to treat.
Significantly more deaths
If the proportion of skin cancer treatments is compared to the number of all cancer therapies, it becomes clear that the proportion is growing: in 2002, four percent of all tumor treatments were for skin cancer; in 2021, this figure was seven percent.
More than 4,400 people died of skin cancer in 2022. That was 65 percent more than in 2002. During the same period, the total number of deaths from cancer increased by only ten percent. As with most types of cancer, older people are particularly affected: more than half of those who died of skin cancer in 2022 were 80 years of age or older.