Hispanics still at risk for skin cancer

Summer is over but it doesn't mean that one should no longer be on guard against the harmful effects of the sun. In fact, NPR reports that Hispanic Americans are more likely than other Americans to be diagnosed with skin cancer in its later stages, when it's more dangerous and deadly. People are continuously misled to think that dark skin equates to a lower risk for skin diseases.

NPR reports that according to Dr. Elliot J. Coups, a researcher and resident member at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, "There is an idea among Hispanics that 'People like me don't get skin cancer.' It's true that they're at lower risk, but they're still at some risk--it's not zero risk. Hispanic individuals can be diagnosed with skin cancer."

Research has shown that the risk for developing the deadliest form of cancer, which is melanoma, is 2.4 percent in non-Hispanic whites, 0.1 percent in blacks, and 0.5 percent in Hispanics. However, 26 percent of Hispanics who have melanoma are only diagnosed during the cancer's later stages, compared to 16 percent of white patients with the same disease.

According to Jennifer Hay, who is a behavioral scientist and clinical health psychologist at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, public health campaigns concerning skin cancer are mostly linked to skin tone. In a 2014 study, Hay and her team found that Hispanics who were born in the U.S. were more likely to have misconceptions such as "people with skin cancer would have pain or other symptoms prior to diagnosis."

"What we found is that people are really receptive to this kind of information, but they have not had the kind of access to it that we would like to see," Hay explained. "That behooves us as public health researchers to find vehicles and channels to get this information out to more populations who could benefit from it."

However, Hay said that while it's true that lighter skinned individuals are at greater risk for skin cancer, those with darker skin tones should still be vigilant about skincare. She said: "Latinos have a wide range of skin types. That range of skin type is much more important than whether one self-identifies as Latino or Hispanic. You can self-identify as Latino and still have very light skin."

Dr. Marcy Street, a board certified dermatologist at Doctor's Approach in Okemos, Michigan, shared the same concerns regarding African Americans, NBC News revealed in a similar report.

Street said: "It is true that skin cancers are more likely to occur in whites and in lighter skinned individuals, but, certain skin cancers can be more deadly in blacks because we tend to get a later diagnosis, unfortunately, when it is more difficult to treat."

Among African Americans, the most common type of skin cancer is squamous cell carcinomas. Melanomas come second. Street advises to apply sunscreen, and perform an at-home examination of one's skin to look for any suspicious moles, lesions that do not heal, and other questionable flaws. She also advises: "Make an appointment once a year with your dermatologist to have a clinical skin examination."