Why Whites Get Skin Cancer More Than Blacks

Black v. White Skin Cancer
Akeylah Lomax
SOC 4500-01
5/7/2020
Introduction
Human epidermis is subject to infections by a condition called melanoma, a form of skin cancer that attacks melanocytes cells. Melanocyte cells produce skin pigment, mostly referred to as melanin (Wang, Fukunaga-Kalabis, and Herlyn 2016). Melanin gives skin the brown or tan color and is essential for the protection of its layers beneath epidermis from the harmful effects of the sun’s energy (Plonka, Picardo, and Slominski 2017). Lack of skin pigmentation puts the whites at a higher risk of being infected by both melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers (Del Bino, Duval and Bernerd 2018). Brown and the black population can tolerate exposure to high levels of sunlight and rarely get sunburns (Armstrong and Cust 2017). However, freckled or pale skin, blue eyes, and fair or red hair are at a higher risk. The extreme exposure to harmful rays damages all types of skin. Heatstroke and eye damage are the same for all people (Feller et al. 2016). This paper researches to list the background of this condition, state the importance of the research and list the problems, measures that can help in prevention and cure for the disease.
Melanoma accounts for less than 5 percent of the total skin cancer cases in the United States. Since 1935, it has remained as the most serious form of skin cancer. It causes at least 75 percent of deaths related to skin cancer (Desai et al. 2018). Besides, Melanoma incidences increased tremendously beginning 1970 to the late 1990s. Since 2000, its rates have relatively stabilized. 5-year survival rate rose from 82 percent in 1975 to 92 percent in 2004 (Kessler et al. 2019). Unfortunately, the mortality rates remained constant. Melanoma is treatable when detected in its early stages, but metastatic melanoma is still a challenge to deal with (Pritchett et al. 2016). In 2004, the American Cancer Society recorded approximately 55,100 diagnosed melanomas in the United States, out of which, 7,910 people died.
At an international level, the highest melanoma incidences recorded were in Norway, Australia, Switzerland, Denmark, Israel, Sweden, and the United States. China, Japan, India, and the Philippines recorded the lowest incidents. The disease is common among children, youths, and middle-aged populations, although everyone is at risk of being infected (Liu et al. 2016). Melanoma affects people aged 20-30 and stands as the leading cause of mortalities for women in between 25-30. It is more prevalent in white people as compared to blacks or Asians. Their incidences are 1/20 in blacks. Its lifetime risk in 1935 was 1 per 1500 Americans. In 2004, it was 1 in 71 Americans. In 2010, it was 1 in 20 people in America. The invention of prevention measures and early detection has reduced a sharp increase in the number of deaths since the 1990s.
Studies found out that the white skin is more prone to the epidermis attack more than the black color. This informs the importance of the research to focus on exploring the reasons why this is so and counter the myths that people of color have regarding skin cancer attack. This paper is important because it will prove the misconceptions have been misguiding people of color. Although skin cancer is more prone to whites, it does not mean black people do not contract the disease (Lai, William, and Rodney 2018). Factors like the environment and healthcare facilities determine the severity of this disease. As they age, blacks are also at risk of the disease. When black people are infected, they exhibit serious symptoms and are at a higher risk of dying than whites.
Larger Melanocytes
Melanin primarily determines the color of the skin. Dark skin tends to have larger melanocytes that are responsible for the production of melanin. This melanin, in turn, protects the deeper layers from harmful effects caused by the sun. Human skin remains exposed to ultraviolet radiation repeatedly, and this influences the survival of cell types. Ultraviolet radiation acts as the main factor that induces skin cancer. Pollutant factors, chemicals, ionizing radiation, and occupational exposures are also causative factors of skin cancer (Jacobsen et al. 2016). Superior protection among blacks is associated with how melanosomes are packed and distributed. Melanosomes are distributed on an individual basis in keratinocytes and not in aggregates.
Intrinsic Sun-protection Factor (SPF)
Estimates indicate that black epidermis has an intrinsic SPF factor of 13.4, whereas the whites have an SPF of 3.3 (Maymone et al. 2017). The more dispersed melanosomes and increased melanin absorbs and deflects the UV light in a more efficient manner giving the skin a more significant protection. The higher melanin filters twice as much radiation as that of whites (Huang et al., 2017: 564). This explains why white people are the primary victims of the disease. People of color records much lower incidences in comparison. Statistics show that whites are at a higher risk of getting skin melanoma, followed by Alaska Natives. Hispanics, Pacific Islanders, and blacks follow in that order (Higgins et al. 2018). America CDC report shows that new melanoma cases have been increasing at a 1.4 percent rate every year for the last decade (Paulson et al. 2020)
Ethnic Skin Cancer Comparison
Evidence collected from various studies indicates that the relationship between photoprotection and pigmentation is more complex than perceived (Cestari and Buster 2017). Most black people have a misconception that their epidermis is immune to skin cancer. The studies show that the disease is not discriminative. It attacks all people, regardless of their color (Kailas et al. 2016). The disease has been a common malignancy, and the incidences are not plateaued. In 2016, there were 76,380 new skin melanoma cases. It killed approximately 10,130 people in the US. In comparison to all cancers, skin cancer affected the highest number of people in the past three decades (Glazer et al. 2017). This implies that the disease is emerging as a global health problem and encompasses all socio-economic cohort, ethnicity, and demographic factors. It affects the whole lifespan.
Study Reveals Immunity is a Misconception
Research shows that black people are more likely to die from the disease than whites. Although there has been an almost 20 percent increase in whites melanoma cases in the past two decades, a review by the American Academy of Dermatology posted that the 5-year rates of survival among non-whites are 70 percent. The rate is lower than the white population’s, which stands at 92 percent. The United States Census Bureau of 2012 revealed that the minority population would rise from 37 percent to 57 percent in 2060. The people of color will account for 50% of the population by 2050 (Bram 2017). The report further suggests that skin cancer cases are alarming among black people in Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Georgia, California, and Florida.
Causes of Non-whites Deaths
In the dark-skinned population, most of the skin cancer types have invisible symptoms. At the time of diagnosis, it is at its last stages of development. Moreover, the early signs of the deadliest forms of skin cancer, melanoma, occur in unusual parts like the sole, toenails, palms, fingernails, and inner surfaces of the genitals and mouth. They are, therefore go unnoticed most of the time. Black people are also not educated on the risks and prevention measures of the disease. Black people, therefore, do not understand the risks and that their belief is false (Padovese et al. 2018). Believing that their skin melanin is a protection against har...