May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month and the health community
is trying to educate the public on how skin tone
and ethnicity plays a role in determining the risk level
of
being diagnosed with Melanoma. It's this idea that gets perpetuated
that generations upon generations of people who may be subject
to the same type of sun exposure that a lighter
or white counterpart would be,
just somehow don't seem to have the same risk.
According to the Canadian Skin Care Foundation,
over 80,000 cases of skin cancer are diagnosed in Canada
each year.
Many go undetected because it's harder to find in people
of color.
I would be looking on the bottoms of the feet,
so the heels, the soles of the feet.
I'd also be looking around the nail fold.
That can show changes, particularly if the nails to go
black or it's to have a band that's larger than
about 3mm.
That's when we would start to be concerned.
And actually the last place is the genitals.
Dermatologists believe those areas on the body are more susceptible
due to consistent trauma.
Meantime, the stats are concerning.
One study finds an average five year Melanoma survival rate
is 67%
in black people versus 92%
in white people. I don't know where the chasm or
where the gap comes in,
but it's true when we do get diagnosed with skin
cancer,
it does tend to be later stage.
And by that virtue, it does tend to be more
advanced.
And perhaps since it is harder to detect,
those with a pigmented skin tone may think they're not
at risk.
But experts say this is a large misconception.
I see about two per year that are,
you know, brown or black skin patients where I biopsy
it.
And sometimes it's obvious as a skin cancer and sometimes
really it's not.
But just the idea that it doesn't occur and that's
something that happens to other people.
But a message dermatologists really want to hit home on
is protection,
which for people of color includes avoiding peak hours in
the sun from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM hot.
I'm thinking about sleeves, preferably UPF 50 plus clothing that's
a specific,
specific grade of clothing. I'm thinking about sunscreen,
at least an SPF of 30.
That's broad spectrum UVA and UVB.
And if it's tinted sunscreen,
even better. And there's also a call for more education
to get out to the public.
We know that the Canadian population is 30%
visible minorities, so meaning skin that is not white.
And that means we have to cater our education materials,
our messaging, all of our products,
all of our energy into a broad message because that's
what's going to be able to help everybody protect their
skin the most.
Bottom line, prevention and early detection is key.
Doctors are stressing the importance of self examination.
They are saying to take any spot or mold that
you see very seriously.
And of course, if you have any concerns,
you're being asked to contact your health care practitioner.
In Toronto, AFIA boss City News.