Melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer that develops in the melanocyte cells that produce melanin—the pigment that gives skin its color. Melanoma can also form in the eyes and, rarely, inside the body, such as in the nose and throat. While melanoma is less common than other types of skin cancers, it is more likely to grow and spread quickly. There were 88,059 new melanoma diagnoses and 8,092 deaths related to melanoma in the United States in 2019, for a rate of 22.7 new cases and 2.0 deaths per 100,000 Americans.