I just read a discouraging article that notes that patients with darker skin tones have a much worse chance of their melanoma becoming fatal. The article references a study performed by Case Western Reserve University (incidentally close to my hometown in Ohio and a very well-respected institution) that found that patients with black skin had the worst survival rates for melanoma.
While awareness of the risks, or rather unawareness of the risks, of exposure to the UV rays of the sun was highlighted as a reason, the other reason provided was the one that really made me sad: access and care from the medical establishment.
Research correlates that the darker your skin tone, the more likely you will receive worse-quality medical care. Further, some dermatologists report that they have not had the training to diagnose skin cancer in patients with dark skin. I noted in a previous post that acral lentiginous melanoma, while rare, strikes people of color more often that whites, and has a higher fatality rate.
It’s bad enough in America, access to quality medical care has become some hot button issue whereby some people (and I’m looking at you extreme right-wingers) feel that not everyone should have the ability to hold quality health insurance. Leaving minorities and other underinsured populations at risk of facing the decision to either seek medical care or pay their other bills. But when skin cancer is harder to spot, harder for medical personnel to diagnose, and harder for people to get treatment – it adds up to a sobering reality. If you are darker skinned, you really do have to be your own health advocate.