Department of Clinical Social Medicine and Dermato-Epidemiology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Bergheimer Str. 58, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany. thomas.diepgen@med.uni-heidelberg.de
Melanoma and non-melanoma (basal and squamous cell carcinoma) skin cancer (NMSC) are now the most common types of cancer in the white populations and the incidence of skin cancer has reached epidemic proportions. According to recent population-based studies from Australia the incidence rate is over 2% for basal cell carcinoma in males and 1% for squamous cell carcinoma, and there are over 50 new cases of melanoma per 100 000.