Letter To The Editor: Skin Cancer Does Not Discriminate

Press release from Stony Brook Medicine:

April 19, 2022

Cancer Prevention in Action
Letter to the Editor
National Minority Health Month
April 2022

Dear Editor,

April is National Minority Health Month, and we are urging that people of all skin tones protect themselves against skin cancer. Despite the common misconception that people of color cannot get skin cancer, skin cancer does affect people of all skin tones. Harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays can penetrate all skin types, regardless of your ethnicity, so even for people with dark skin, sun protection is necessary every day.

According to the American Cancer Society, melanoma rates have risen by 20% among Hispanics in the past two decades. The annual incidence of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, is currently 1 in 167 for Hispanics and 1 in 1,000 for African Americans (compared to 1 in 38 for Caucasians).

Although people of color are diagnosed with skin cancer at lower rates than Caucasians, prognoses are typically poorer and survival rates are lower. Black patients with melanoma have an estimated five-year survival rate of 71 percent, versus 93 percent for white patients.

You can reduce your skin cancer risk by practicing sun safe strategies when outdoors. Applying sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher, wearing a wide-brimmed hat, UV protective sunglasses, and long-sleeved clothing, and seeking shade whenever possible, can help prevent skin cancer.
Cancer Prevention in Action at Stony Brook Cancer Center works to increase awareness about the dangers of UV radiation and promote sun safety to reduce skin cancer rates on Long Island. To learn more about Cancer Prevention in Action, visit takeactionagainstcancer.com or contact us at 631-444-4263 or COE@stonybrookmedicine.edu.

This program is supported with funds from Health Research, Inc. and New York State.

This press release was produced by Stony Brook Medicine. The views expressed here are the author's own.