Skin Cancer in Feet and Nails may be More Deadly for Black Men

Highlights:

Though dark-skinned men are less likely to become afflicted with the deadliest form of skin cancer
Very often, skin cancer is diagnosed at a more advanced stage in black men, making treatment difficult
Therefore, increasing awareness regarding skin cancers in dark-skinned people is the need of the hour

The human skin color is mainly determined by the presence of melanin and dark skin has larger cells that produce more melanin. Melanin protects the deeper layers of the skin from the harmful effects of the sun.

Human skin is repeatedly exposed to ultraviolet radiation from sunlight that influences the function of many cell types and is regarded as the main causative factor in the induction of skin cancer. Ionizing radiation, pollutants, chemicals, and occupational exposures are also linked with skin cancers.

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Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer. In the early stages, melanoma can be treated successfully with surgery alone and survival rates are high (). Therefore, early diagnosis is key for ensuring patients have the best possible prognosis.

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Melanoma of the skin is a dangerous type of skin cancer that usually appears as a cancerous mole due to exposure to the sun’s damaging UV rays.

‘Black people with melanoma (skin cancer) have a higher risk of dying from the condition due to its occurrence in unexpected places delaying the identification. #Melanoma #Skin cancer #Black Men’

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It is estimated that dark skin has superior protection from sunlight. This is the reason that the white population is the primary victims of skin cancer and the incidences of skin cancer are lower in people with dark skin.

However, there is growing evidence that the relationship between pigmentation and protection from ultraviolet radiation is far more complex than assumed (). Most black people have the misconception that they are immune to skin cancer but recent studies indicate that skin cancer does not discriminate, it can occur in all populations.

Though melanoma incidence among the white population has risen almost 20 percent in the past two decades alone, recent studies show that black people are more likely to die from this curable disease.

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A recent study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology assessed the racial and ethnic differences in males with melanoma using 205,125 cases from the National Cancer Database.

Among Black men with melanoma, 48.6 percent are diagnosed at the late stages of the disease, when it is harder to treat, compared with 21.1 percent among White men. Late-stage diagnoses occur in 39.6 percent of Hispanic men, 37.6 percent of Asian men, and 29.1 percent of Native American men ().

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If detected early, the five-year survival rate for melanoma is 99 percent. But a late diagnosis changes those odds dramatically. Once melanoma has spread to distant parts of the body, the five-year relative survival rate is reduced to 32 percent.

The location of melanomas on the body varied starkly by race. About 50.7 percent of Black men with melanoma have it on their lower extremities. Fewer than 10 percent of White men with the disease had it on their lower bodies.

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Among White men, most cases were on the trunk (35.5 percent) or head and neck (25.7 percent). By comparison, only 12.6 percent of cases in Black men were on the trunk and 9.8 percent on the head. Melanoma in Black men is often found in areas not exposed to the sun, such as the soles of the feet, toes, toenails, fingers, fingernail beds, and palms.

Skin Cancer Concerns in Black Men: Risk Factors and Prevention

The study underscores the importance of increasing public education for doctors and patients to be on the lookout for melanoma, even in Black patients where it rarely occurs. This disproportionate and unfortunate rate of death highlights more preventive measures.

The late diagnosis explains only part of the reason melanoma is more deadly in Black men. Factors such as income, insurance, access to health care, and education level do not fully explain why Black men would have a 26 percent higher death rate than Whites ().

The number of new invasive melanoma cases diagnosed annually has increased by 27 percent in the past decade. This year, 7,990 people are expected to die of melanoma, of them 5,420 were men. Because melanomas originate with sun damage to skin cells, dermatologists continue to stress vigilant sun protection.

In addition to that men tend to resist the very things that could save their lives — wearing hats, sunscreen, and protective clothing, avoiding the sun, and regularly seeing a dermatologist. Experts advise annual skin checks at the doctor and monthly personal checks of your body.

References:

Trends in Melanoma Mortality Among Non-Hispanic Whites by Educational Attainment, 1993-2007 - (https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamadermatology/fullarticle/1149914)
Racial and ethnic differences in males with melanoma: A retrospective cohort study of 205,125 cases from the National Cancer Database - (https://www.jaad.org/article/S0190-9622(23)01105-2/pdf)
Gender differences in cutaneous melanoma: Demographics, prognostic factors, and survival outcomes - (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/dth.14131)

Source-Medindia