Arizona has one of the country's highest melanoma rates

Sunny Arizona has one of the highest melanoma rates in the country, and cases are on the rise nationally.

Why it matters: Although melanoma accounts for only about 1% of skin cancers , it's responsible for the large majority of skin cancer deaths, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS).

By the numbers: Arizona averaged 28.9 melanoma cases per 100,000 from 2016-2020, well above the national average of 22.5, per the National Cancer Institute .

• Only six states had higher rates than Arizona.
• The data doesn't include Indiana or Nevada.

Zoom out: Skin cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the U.S.​

• New cases of melanoma rose 2% to 3% annually between 2015 and 2019, Axios' Tina Reed reports.

What they're saying: "People who get periodically sunburnt frequently tend to have a higher risk of developing melanoma," says Henry Lim, dermatologist at Henry Ford Health in Detroit and former president of American Academy of Dermatology.

• And sun exposure has a clear connection to basal cell and squamous cell skin cancers.

The big picture: In particular, there's been an increase in the number of people diagnosed with skin cancer over age 50, says Shanthi Sivendran, ACS senior vice president of cancer care support.

• ACS estimates that about 100,640 new cases of melanoma skin cancer will be diagnosed in 2024.

Between the lines: "More sun exposure" isn't the only possible reason for the uptick in melanoma diagnoses.

• Other factors: more effective skin cancer detection and the fact that many Americans are living longer, according to Sivendran.

Reality check: The way melanoma is reported, or in some cases underreported, can affect the rates.

• Robin Harris, co-director of the University of Arizona's Skin Cancer Institute, told Axios last year that a melanoma task force she helped start in 2013 found that cases were being underreported here by 72%.
• She said underreporting occurs because most melanoma cases are treated at dermatologists' offices, instead of hospitals or cancer facilities where doctors are more familiar with state reporting requirements.

Go deeper: Skin cancer alert: Melanoma cases are on the rise