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Can Black People Get Skin Cancer?

Can Black People Get Skin Cancer?

Skin cancer is the most common of all the cancers. For years, the majority of the black population and even many medical specialists have assumed that people of color cannot get skin cancer, but that assumption is very much false.

Believing themselves safe from the sun’s radiation, many people with darker complexions do not use sunscreen. Since these individuals feel invincible against the sun, they often are unaware of the symptoms of cancer of the skin when they are present. As a result, even though this cancer can be treated, is more likely to result in fatalities in cases involving people with darker skin tones than people with lighter skin tones. This is because usually when skin cancer is diagnosed in persons with brown or black skin, the cancer is typically in its later stages. At this point, the cancer may have spread and be impossible to treat.

Can Black People Get Skin Cancer?

Signs of skin cancer in darker individuals are typically seen in body areas which have less skin color such as fingers, soles, the palms of the hands, and toes. Symptoms sometimes even appear in the mouth and near the reproductive organs.

While a high percentage of Caucasians wear sunscreen when they’re exposed to the sun for long periods of time, the percentage of people of color who wear sunscreen is estimated to be less than thirty percent. To alleviate the risks of skin cancer, all individuals, regardless of race, should wear sunscreen.

Can Black People Get Skin Cancer?

Cancer of the skin does not discriminate; it affects people of all races. Therefore, everyone should take preventive measures to avoid the sun’s UV rays and see a physician at the first appearance of a mole or an abnormal growth. Just because skin cancer does occur less often in people of color, this does not mean that this group is invulnerable to cancer.

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