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Skin cancer in Australia
Most skin cancers can be prevented if you protect your skin from the sun. A suntan or sunburn may fade but the damage lasts a lifetime.
Over-exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation in sunlight causes permanent damage to your skin and increases your risk of skin cancer. How much sun your skin receives in the first 10 years of life is really important in determining your risk of skin cancer later in life.
Australia has the highest rates of skin cancer in the world, with one in every two Australians developing skin cancer at some time during their life. Many Australians have fair skin that is damaged quickly by the extreme levels of UV radiation that we have in Australia. This damage builds up every year, increasing the risk of skin cancer.
Skin cancer accounts for over 80 per cent of all cancer diagnosed in Australia and costs the health system around $300 million each year. More than 380,000 Australians are diagnosed with skin cancer every year - 374,000 with non-melanoma skin cancer and 8500 with melanoma. Over 1500 people die from skin cancer each year.
Learn how to check for skin cancer.
Find out more
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Prevention & early detection 
