Skin cancer epidemiology
It is important to note that skin cancer is significantly underreported and there are differences in what is recorded across various registries. Unfortunately, available data show that rates are increasing across multiple measures, and it is clear that skin cancer has become a widespread public health concern in Denmark.
25,000 Danes are diagnosed with skin cancer each year
According to the Danish Cancer Registry, which collects data on new cancer cases in Denmark, there were on average approximately 14,500 cases of basal cell carcinoma and nearly 4,100 cases of squamous cell carcinoma annually between 2017 and 2022, i.e. about 18,600 cases of keratinocyte carcinoma per year in Denmark during this period.
Data from 2023-2024 from the Danish Skin Cancer Database, which since 2010 has recorded patients treated for skin cancer by private practice dermatologists in Denmark, show that nearly 23,000 patients were registered with basal cell carcinoma and nearly 2,300 patients with squamous cell carcinoma within a 12-month period. In total, approximately 25,300 patients were diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma during one year.
One in five Danes will develop skin cancer
As of 2024, the lifetime risk for a person in Denmark of developing skin cancer is 22%. This means that approximately one in five Danes will develop skin cancer during their lifetime.
Skin cancer recurs in 40% of cases
Data from 2025 from the Danish Health Authority indicate that individuals who have previously had skin cancer have a 40% risk of developing skin cancer again.
45.000 skin cancer tumors require treatment each year in Denmark
The Danish Cancer Registry records only the first diagnosis of basal cell carcinoma per individual, meaning that these figures reflect the number of new patients with primary tumors each year. The actual number of tumors diagnosed and requiring treatment annually is therefore higher.
In a recent paper published in the Danish medical journal Ugeskrift for Læger on March 31, 2025, we and other skin cancer experts reported that a study identified substantial underreporting of basal cell carcinoma and estimated that the true number of new tumors in Denmark is likely approximately 45,000 per year.
The Danish Skin Cancer Database recorded nearly 41,400 tumors requiring treatment during a 12-month period in 2023-2024, a number close to the estimated 45,000 cases.
An increasing burden on the healthcare system and society
Healthcare and societal costs related to skin cancer are estimated to have increased to approximately 340 million Danish kroner in 2024.