Is skin cancer more common in dark skin?
Is skin cancer more common in dark skin?
People with darker skin also tend to get skin cancer in different locations than people with fair skin. “For example, in African Americans and Asians, we see it more often on their nails, hands and feet,” Dr. Kyei says. “Caucasians tend to get it more in sun-exposed areas.”
Is melanoma more common in black people?
Darker skinned people all have relatively low risk of melanoma compared to whites. 1 Though uncommon in people of color, blacks and Hispanics are more often diagnosed with more advanced melanomas, and they often have higher mortality than whites.
Can a black person get melanoma?
People of all colors, including those with brown and black skin, get skin cancer. Even if you never sunburn, you can get skin cancer. When skin cancer develops in people of color, it’s often in a late stage when diagnosed. This can be deadly when the person has melanoma, a type of skin cancer that can spread quickly.
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Can a person with dark skin get skin cancer?
This doesn’t mean that people with dark skin, such as African Americans, and Native Americans, are immune to skin cancer. They’re not, and their skin’s inherent screen isn’t nearly strong enough to keep them safe. This mistaken belief helps explain why skin cancer is often diagnosed so late in dark-skinned people, making it much harder to cure.
Why are African Americans more likely to die of skin cancer?
They can and they do – just not at as high rates as fair-skinned people.” Despite the sun protection that additional melanin offers, Dr. Kyei says African Americans tend to suffer more melanoma deaths than any other ethnic group. But it’s not because skin cancer is harder to detect in people with dark skin.
Is there a skin cancer crisis in people of?
Skin cancers are less prevalent in nonwhite racial ethnic groups, but when they occur, they tend to be diagnosed at a later stage and, as a result, have a worse prognosis. One study, for example, found an average five-year melanoma survival rate of only 65 percent in black people versus 91 percent in white people.
Where are skin cancers most common in people of color?
And third, the places on the body where skin cancers tend to occur in people of color are often in less sun-exposed, more out-of-the-way areas, which makes detection more difficult. For example, the most common location for melanoma in patients of color is the lower extremities — the soles of the feet in particular.
Does dark skin protect against skin cancer?
On one hand, dark skin is less likely to get sunburned and less likely to develop skin cancer. On the other hand, because dark skin naturally provides protection from the sun’s ultraviolet rays, it prevents dark-skinned people from producing the necessary amount of vitamin D [source: Zelman ].
Are people with darker skins immune to skin cancers?
Dark-skinned people have a higher concentration of melanin to begin with, meaning they have a stronger defense. But this doesn’t make people with dark complexions immune to skin cancer. In fact, skin cancer is often caught late in African Americans, resulting in a higher fatality rate.
Does skin cancer have to be dark?
Skin cancer affects people of all skin tones, including those with darker complexions. When melanoma occurs in people with dark skin tones, it’s more likely to occur in areas not normally exposed to the sun, such as the palms of the hands and soles of the feet.
What is the best kind of skin cancer?
The prognosis for nonmelanoma skin cancer is generally excellent. Both basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma are highly curable. There are virtually no deaths from basal cell carcinoma and only rare deaths with squamous cell carcinoma skin cancers, mostly in immunosuppressed individuals.