Facts to Know

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1. The most serious consequence of sun exposure is skin cancer.

2. Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer.

3. Skin cancer can take 20 years or more to develop.

4. Anyone can develop skin cancer and precancerous conditions, although people with fair complexions tend to be more susceptible than people with darker skin tones.

5. Although African Americans are diagnosed with melanoma less often than whites, they have a higher death rate from the disease. The survival rate after five years is 45 percent for African Americans compared to 69 percent in whites.

6. The earliest warning sign of severe skin damage is the development of actinic keratoses—rough, crusty bumps on sun-exposed areas that may itch or feel tender when exposed to sunlight. Actinic keratoses affect 10 million people in the U.S. and are becoming more common.

7. There are two main forms of skin cancer: nonmelanoma and melanoma—often referred to as "malignant melanoma." Several other very rare types of skin cancer exist but account for less than one percent of all skin cancer cases.

8. Basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma are the most common types of nonmelanoma skin cancer, comprising about 95 percent of all skin cancer cases—approximately one million each year, according to the ACS. These cancers are slow growing and rarely spread to other parts of the body.

9. Melanoma is the least common, but most aggressive of the three main types of skin cancer. About 59,600 cases of melanoma were diagnosed in 2005. Melanoma accounts for about four percent of all diagnosed skin cancers—but it accounts for about 75 percent of skin cancer deaths.

10. The sun's UVA rays contribute to wrinkling and burning of the skin, as well as to the development of skin cancer. UVA rays are also used in tanning booths where they may be up to 20 times stronger than natural sunlight, depending on the bed.