Introduction
Melanoma is one of the deadliest types of skin cancer. Around 132,000 people are diagnosed with melanoma skin cancer annually around the globe, and its incidence is estimated to increase as further depletion of the ozone layer brings more ultraviolet (UV) radiation to the Earth’s surface. Chronic exposure to UV radiation causes DNA damage, which can lead to the development of melanoma skin cancer. In addition to UV exposure, an individual’s genetic traits contribute to the development of melanoma. Melanoma skin cancer is the most prevalent among whites with relatively lighter skin pigmentation, but individuals with darker skin are more likely to experience diagnosis and treatment delays, and on average, poorer consequences. Among other reasons, economic and educational differences drive these disparities as they result in less access to health care and lower rates of self-diagnosis, respectively. However, skin cancer prevention interventions are mostly aimed at lighter-skinned, white populations, causing darker-skinned populations to undermine the importance of sun protection for themselves. This paper aims to study different races’ perceptions and use of sunscreen, and the resulting impact of sun protection on the incidence and severity of melanoma skin cancer. White and Black populations will be studied for their differences in sunscreen use based on cultural or educational influences and their consequential development of melanoma. By studying the effectiveness of sunscreen and the racial perceptions surrounding melanoma and sun protection, this post hopes to highlight the need for universal sun protection.
Melanoma is a malignancy that begins in melanocytes, which are cells in the basal layer of the epidermis that produce melanin. The most common symptom of melanoma is a new development or an appearance change in moles or other dark spots (NHS, 2020). Melanoma can be cured during its early stages through surgical excision in which the primary melanoma and the surrounding area of the skin are removed to eliminate the cancer cells (Cancer.Net Editorial Board, 2021). However, if left untreated, they can spread throughout the body to make treatment extremely difficult (Skin Cancer, n.d.).
Melanoma has a comparatively low global incidence of 132,000 cases per year – 1% of all skin cancers – but is responsible for more than 80% of skin cancer deaths (Cancer Stat, 2019; WHO Team, 2017). The risk factors of melanoma can be categorized as non-genetic – ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure – and genetic – family history of skin cancer and individual characteristics majorly observed in lighter skinned, white populations (Gandini et al., 2005). Accordingly, white individuals report the highest incidence of melanoma (Cancer Stat, 2019). However, due to misperception of skin cancer, lack of health education, socio-economic hardships, and difficulty in diagnosis, Black populations experience more severe consequences and a lower survival rate (Culp & Lunsford, 2019; Pollack et al., 2011).
Despite the danger of melanoma for black individuals, melanoma is commonly misconstrued to be occurring and threatening only to white individuals (Lozano et al., 2012). Consequently, individuals of other races undermine the importance of non-genetic prevention methods to decrease the risk of melanoma, most notably sunscreen (Calderón et al., 2019; Ma et al., 2007).
This paper aims to study the perception and use of sunscreen in white and black populations, and the resulting impact of sun protection on the incidence and severity of melanoma skin cancer. The two races will be studied for their differences in sunscreen use based on cultural or educational influences, and their consequential development of melanoma. By studying the effectiveness of sunscreen and the racial perceptions surrounding melanoma and sun protection, this paper hopes to highlight the need for universal sun protection.