Skin Cancer Awareness Month 2025: Protect the Skin You’re In

As the weather warms up and the sun shines longer, May marks Skin Cancer Awareness Month 2025.

It’s a reminder of the importance of protecting our skin, the body’s largest organ, from one of the most common yet highly preventable cancers.

With over 5 million cases diagnosed each year in the US alone, skin cancer is the most common cancer in the country.

It affects countless lives, but education and early detection can make all the difference.

This year’s theme from the Skin Cancer Foundation is centered on spreading awareness. Social media hashtags around the theme include #SkinCancerIsPersonal, as it affects people in different ways, both physically and emotionally.

The Skin Cancer Foundation also says that #SkinCancerIsSerious and “IS a big deal!”

The foundation is asking for individuals and organizations to amplify these important messages this month, on social media and in our daily spaces.

XTALKS WEBINAR: Driving Acceleration in Oncology Drug Development and Clinical Trials

Live and On-Demand: Thursday, May 15, 2025, at 10am EDT (4pm CEST/EU-Central)

Register for this free webinar to gain insight into leveraging deep therapeutic expertise in oncology. Learn how a clinical development paradigm focused on speed, agility and strategic collaboration can accelerate the drug development process.

Why Skin Cancer Awareness Matters

According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, one in five Americans will develop skin cancer by the age of 70.

In the US, skin cancer diagnoses each year outnumber those of all other cancers combined

Skin cancer comes in many forms, including basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and the more dangerous melanoma. While it’s often linked to sun exposure, other risk factors like tanning beds, genetics and fair skin also play a role.

Skin cancer doesn’t discriminate — it can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender or skin tone.

When caught early, skin cancer is highly treatable, with a five-year survival rate of 99%. Unfortunately, many people still underestimate its seriousness or skip routine skin checks, putting themselves at risk.

XTALKS WEBINAR: Early Phase Oncology Trials

Live and On-Demand: Friday, May 16, 2025, at 11am EDT (5pm CEST/EU-Central)

Register for this free webinar to learn about the evolving FDA regulations and their implications for early-phase oncology trials.

A Spotlight on Prevention for Skin Cancer Awareness Month 2025

Skin Cancer Awareness Month encourages people to take simple but powerful steps to lower their risk, including:

• Wear sunscreen daily with SPF 30 or higher, even on cloudy days. Research has shown that wearing sunscreen every day can reduce the risk of developing melanoma by 50%.
• Seek shade between 10 AM and 4 PM when UV rays are strongest.
• Wear protective clothing, hats and sunglasses.
• Avoid tanning beds — they significantly increase your skin cancer risk. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, more people develop skin cancer due to indoor tanning than develop lung cancer because of smoking.
• Do regular self-exams and watch for changes in moles or spots.
• See a dermatologist annually for a professional skin check.

Melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, accounts for only about 1% of skin cancers but causes the majority of skin cancer deaths. Recognizing the ABCDEs of melanoma — asymmetry, border irregularity, color changes, diameter over 6mm and evolving appearance — can help spot warning signs early.

By raising awareness about skin cancer, practicing sun safety and encouraging early detection, the toll of this preventable disease can be reduced.

During May, many organizations and dermatologists offer free skin cancer screenings and host educational events. People can participate by:

• Sharing sun safety tips on social media
• Wearing orange or black ribbons to show support
• Scheduling a skin check
• Supporting organizations like the Skin Cancer Foundation or the American Academy of Dermatology

XTALKS WEBINAR: Transforming Clinical Trials: Power of Educating and Supporting the Entire Patient Network in Rare Disease and Oncology Studies

Live and On-Demand: Tuesday, June 17, 2025, at 10am EDT (4pm CEST/EU-Central)

Register for this free webinar to discover how strategic patient education and support can transform rare disease and oncology clinical trials.

Skin Cancer Treatments: Leaders, Advances and Innovations

Skin Cancer Awareness Month 2025 also highlights progress in treatments, from immunotherapies to innovative new drugs in development, for skin cancers like melanoma.

Among market leaders, Merck’s blockbuster immunotherapy Keytruda (pembrolizumab) remained dominant, generating $29.5 billion globally — a striking 18% increase from the previous year. Keytruda, approved for multiple cancers including melanoma, expanded its reach with three new FDA approvals in 2024.

Bristol Myers Squibb’s Opdivo (nivolumab) also maintained a strong foothold, earning $9.3 billion in global sales as it continued to serve as a key player in immuno-oncology, including melanoma treatment.

Several new therapies entered the market or advanced in development last year.

In December 2024, Checkpoint Therapeutics’ Unloxcyt (cosibelimab-ipdl) received FDA approval for advanced skin cancer, positioning it as a new competitor to Keytruda. The PD-L1 inhibitor offers an alternative treatment option for patients with advanced or treatment-resistant disease.

Iovance Biotherapeutics’ Amtagvi (lifileucel) received accelerated FDA approval in February 2024 for unresectable or metastatic melanoma, marking a major milestone for tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy.

Incyte is anticipating an FDA approval for Zynyv (retifanlimab) in squamous cell anal carcinoma (SCAC) this year. Zynyv was— approved for Merkel cell carcinoma in 2023.

The advanced melanoma pipeline remains robust, with over 60 therapies in development across more than 55 companies.

Replimune’s oncolytic virus RP1 (vusolimogene oderparepvec), in combination with Opdivo, showed promising data with a 33.6% 12-month response rate in anti-PD-1 refractory melanoma patients, with FDA submission anticipated.

Replimune received FDA Breakthrough Therapy designation for RP1 in combination with nivolumab in November 2024 with submission of a BLA under the Accelerated Approval pathway.

BioNTech is advancing its melanoma mRNA immunotherapy BNT111. Last summer, the company shared promising Phase II trial results for the treatment in patients with unresectable stage III or IV melanoma who have relapsed or are refractory to anti-PD-(L)1 therapies. In combination with the PD-1 inhibitor cemiplimab (Libtayo), BNT111 achieved a statistically significant improvement in overall response rate (ORR) compared to historical controls.

And IO Biotech’s investigational therapeutic cancer vaccine, IO102-IO103, is currently under evaluation in a pivotal Phase III trial for the first-line treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma.

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