Skin Cancer in People of Color

While skin cancer can appear on any skin surface, the common locations for melanoma on people of color are on non-sun-exposed skin including the bottoms of the feet, palms, finger- and toenails, and inside of the mouth. Skin cancer appears differently on different shades of skin.

STATISTICS

• Skin cancer can affect anyone, regardless of skin color.
• The incidence of skin cancer among non-Hispanic white individuals is almost 30 times higher than that among non-Hispanic Black or Asian/Pacific Islander individuals.
• Skin cancer in patients with skin of color is often diagnosed in its later stages, when it’s more difficult to treat.
• Research has shown that patients with skin of color are less likely than white patients to survive melanoma.
• Twenty-five percent of melanoma cases in African American patients are diagnosed when the cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes, while 16% are diagnosed when the cancer has spread to distant lymph nodes and other organs.
• People with skin of color are prone to skin cancer in areas that aren’t commonly exposed to the sun, like the palms of the hands, the soles of the feet, the groin and the inside of the mouth. They also may develop melanoma under their nails.

Statistics courtesy of the American Academy of Dermatology

The following resources may be helpful:

Skin of Color Society: https://skinofcolorsociety.org/dermatology-education/melanoma/

American Academy of Dermatology: https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/skincancer/types/common/melanoma

 

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