Just to reinforce how everyone needs a skin exam, I wanted to reference an article I wrote which highlights certain features of melanomas diagnosed in African-American patients. It is a dangerous misconception that darker skin tones are not at risk for skin cancer. Although the incidence of skin cancers in darker races is lower than Caucasian patients, skin cancer can happen in ANYONE. Remember that Jamaican singer-songwriter Bob Marley died of melanoma at age 36.
A recent study in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, showed that melanoma diagnoses in people of color were more likely to be more aggressive, and diagnosed in the later stages of evolution, associated with a poor prognosis and lower survival rate. It is therefore of paramount importance to educate all people about skin cancer, including African-American patients who are susceptible to a specific type of very aggressive melanoma. The subtype of melanoma more prevalent in darker skin tones, including African-American and Hispanic patients, is called Acral Lentiginous Melanoma which occurs on the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet. The development of these skin cancers on acral sites suggest causative factors, including genetics or environmental influences, other than ultraviolet radiation. However, UV radiation is still very dangerous and linked to the development of skin cancers in patients of all skin types. A recent study showed that 63% of African-American participants said that they had never used sunscreen. It is important to realize that race or ethnicity does not define skin type, and sunscreen use is important for all skin types.
If you are interested in learning more about this subject, click the link below to read an in-depth case study I wrote with Angela C. S. Hutcheson, MD, John C. Maize Jr., MD, and Jeol Cook, MD, on Multiple Primary Acral Melanomas in African-Americans.