ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — One in five people in the US will develop skin cancer by the time they are 70 years old, making it the most common type of cancer. Even though statistics show fair-skinned people are more likely to develop skin cancer, darker-skinned people are more likely to die from it. Sunscreen
Summer is filled with lots of fun in the sun, but …
Andrew Pecora, MD, Oncologist at Hackensack University Medical Center says, “Excess sun exposure can lead to skin cancers of which melanoma is one.”
Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer and affects some people more than others.
Doctor Pecora says, “We see melanoma more commonly in fair-skinned people who don’t have a lot of pigment to protect themselves from the ultraviolet radiation of the sun.”
But that doesn’t mean people with darker skin tones cannot get it. Even though they have a lower risk of getting skin cancer, by the time most African Americans get a diagnosis, it has already spread to other parts of their body. In fact, the five-year survival rate for black skin cancer patients is 70 percent, while it’s 94 percent for white patients. Doctors say the key to higher survival rates is detecting it before the cancer has spread.
Doctor Pecora says, “If you add metastatic melanoma, almost 100% of people died.”
There are things people with darker skin can do to protect themselves from even getting skin cancer in the first place. Recently, the American Academy of Dermatology released recommendations that include telling people with darker complexions to use tinted mineral sunscreen with an SPF of 30. The tint from the sunscreen helps to block out more light. Other things that can help: wearing a hat and ultraviolet protection clothing. Making sure you’re protected while having fun in the sun.
In the past sunscreen companies really only marketed to fair-skinned people. But today, more brands are emerging with sunscreen products for different complexions, including Neutrogena’s line of tinted-face sunscreens and the launch of the company black girl sunscreen.
Contributors to this news report include: Milvionne Chery, Producer; Roque Correa, Editor and Videographer.
Sources:
https://www.skincancer.org/skin-cancer-information/skin-cancer-facts/
https://www.webmd.com/melanoma-skin-cancer/features/skin-cancer-people-color
https://www.webmd.com/melanoma-skin-cancer/features/skin-cancer-people-color
https://www.aad.org/public/darker-skin/secrets
https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2023/05/27/sunscreen-melanoma-skin-cancer/
NEW GUIDELINES ON SUNSCREEN FOR
DARKER SKIN
REPORT #3096
BACKGROUND: More than 9,500 people are diagnosed with skin cancer every day in the United States, and at least one in five Americans will develop skin cancer by the age of 70. Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common form of skin cancer, while squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the second most common form. A study out of the UK found that about 86 percent of melanomas can be attributed to exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun. Therefore, it’s recommended that regular daily use of an SPF 15 or higher sunscreen reduces the risk of developing SCC by about 40 percent. Women aged 49 and under are more likely to develop melanoma than any other cancer except breast and thyroid cancers. Whereas, from age 50 on, significantly more men develop melanoma than women.
(Source: https://www.skincancer.org/skin-cancer-information/skin-cancer-facts/)
SKIN CANCER AND DARK SKIN: People of all colors, including those with brown and black skin, get skin cancer. When melanoma skin cancer develops in people of color, it’s often diagnosed in late stage, which can be deadly due to it spreading quickly. However, found early, most skin cancers can be cured. People who have skin of color want to look for several things such as a dark spot, growth, or darker patch of skin that is growing, bleeding, or changing in any way; a sore that won’t heal, or heals and returns; a sore that has a hard time healing, especially if the sore appears in a scar or on skin that was injured in the past; a patch of skin that feels rough and dry; or a dark line underneath or around a fingernail or toenail. The American Academy of Dermatology Association recommends looking at your skin from head to toe, and examine hard-to-see areas like the top of the head and back by using a handheld mirror or asking a partner to check these areas at least every month.
(Source: https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/skin-cancer/types/common/melanoma/skin-color)
NEW VACCINE REDUCES MELANOMA RECURRENCE: Researchers at NYU Langone Health and its Perlmutter Cancer Center conducted a randomized phase 2b trial involving men and women who had surgery to remove melanoma from lymph nodes, or other organs, and were at high risk of the disease returning in parts of the body. The combination of an experimental mRNA vaccine with an immunotherapy reduced the likelihood of melanoma recurring or causing death by 44 percent when compared to immunotherapy alone. “Our phase 2b study shows that a neoantigen mRNA vaccine, when used in combination with pembrolizumab, resulted in prolonged time without recurrence or death compared with pembrolizumab alone,” said study senior investigator Jeffrey S. Weber, MD, PhD, deputy director of Perlmutter Cancer Center. mRNA cancer vaccines are designed to teach the body’s immune system to recognize cancer cells as different from normal cells. The current results highlight the role of immune system T cells capable of attacking viruses as well as cancers.
* For More Information, Contact:
Mary McGeever, PR
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