The American Cancer Society reports that the lifetime risk of getting melanoma, skin cancer’s deadliest form, is 1 in 167 for Hispanics and 1 in 1,000 for African Americans, compared with 1 in 38 for Caucasians and others with fair skin.
However, according to research from the University of Cincinnati, the mortality rate from melanoma is higher than it is for light-skinned people. There may be a number of reasons for this. Primarily, there seems to be a decreased awareness that dark skin can get skin cancer. Wayne Kuznar in Dermatology Times reported, “As a result, some 62 to 74% of African Americans and 47 to 69% of Hispanics report never or rarely using sunscreens, and the use of protective clothing is similarly low in these groups.”
Sun-Related Skin Concerns in Skin of Color is a Priority at Advanced Dermatology
Our dermatologists and other skin cancer experts are leaders in performing thorough annual total-body skin cancer exams on individuals who have darker skin, and also understand the best way to treat those cancers to minimize scarring and other concerns which are more of an issue for those with darker skin.