Melanoma is a Growing Concern Among the Hispanic Community

Melanoma is a type of skin cancer and while we don’t hear much about it affecting the Hispanic community, it’s a growing concern. During the last two decades, the incidence of melanoma among Hispanics has risen almost 20%. A recent survey found that 1 in 3 Hispanics reported getting sunburned over the course of one year and over 43% of them reported that they either rarely or never use sunscreen.

Dr. Patricia Thompson is the Medical Director of Thoracic Oncology & Medical Oncologist at the Cancer Treatment Centers of America Southeastern Regional Medical Center and she is concerned about the growing numbers among the Hispanic community.

“The Hispanic community is under the impression that just because you have darker skin, you have a higher amount of melanin in your skin,” explains Dr. Thompson. Melanin is a protective pigment in the skin that blocks UV (Ultraviolet) radiation from potentially causing skin cancer.

In general, the lighter the skin the higher the risk of skin cancer, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that your skin can color could protect you from UV damage. The Argentinean doctor is committed to educating the Hispanic community about this issue because a lot of Hispanics are not aware of the risk.

“When melanoma is diagnosed at an early stage, 80-90% of patients survive it, but when it is diagnosed at a later stage, you’re talking about less than 10% survival rate,” she says. Melanoma is one of the most common skin cancers and in the U.S., last year there were 77,000 cases of people diagnosed, but that is just an estimation because the numbers could be much higher.

“The Hispanic population is not aware of the risk and they are less prone to using sunscreen, I believe that less than 25% use it, which is quite low,” says Dr. Thompson. It’s important to take the necessary precautions when you’re outside. Use SPF (Sun Protection Factor) sunscreens, the higher the SPF, the better. If you don’t have to be outside during peak hours (10 a.m.- 3 p.m.) when the sun’s UV rays are most intense, then don’t. Wear cotton clothing, a hat and sunglasses to protect your skin and eyes from the sun.

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“Don’t think that just because you’re applying sunscreen you’re completely protected,” she says. The rule of thumb is to use a sunscreen with at least 15 SPF, but Dr. Thompson recommends a sunscreen with SPF 50 or higher, which can shield 98% of the harmful UV rays.

If you wear sunscreen when you’re outside and you are sweating, then you’re going to sweat off the sunscreen, so you need to reapply every couple of hours. The same thing with swimming. Don’t go into the water right after you apply sunscreen. Wait until the sunscreen dries, which is roughly about 30 minutes and then go into the water. It’s important to keep reapplying sunscreen every 2 hours to be on the safe side.

The more you protect your skin, the better. Sun exposure that your body absorbs in your teens, 20s and 30s can present itself as cancer later in life. “To me sunburn is sunburn, it doesn’t matter which way it was achieved because if you have sunburned skin that area is now at a higher risk to develop skin cancer,” she emphasizes. “Whether it’s sunburn art, whether you fell asleep outside, you are exposing that skin area to UVA (Ultraviolet A) and UVB (Ultraviolet B) and you have a higher risk for developing skin cancer.”

People that are high risk for melanoma are those that have sunburned a lot, people that have a family history of melanoma, and those that develop irregular moles, which is a clear sign that is something is wrong. “A mole that wasn’t there, recently appeared or is growing needs to be checked, so visit your doctor and get regular skin examinations because you can’t prevent a mole from becoming cancerous, but you can catch it early,” explains Dr. Thompson.

Early detection saves lives; she can’t emphasize enough, as well as the importance of screening and education, because skin cancer is preventable. To learn more, visit www.CancerCenter.com.