Life
Myth: Black People Do not get Skin Cancer
It’s true that skin cancer in African American (or in people of African decent) isn’t nearly as common as it is in other ethnicities. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, it comprises just one to two percent of all cancers among blacks. But with less than half of melanomas in African Americans diagnosed at an early stage (compared to 74 percent in Hispanics and 84 percent in Caucasians) and survival rates hovering around 77 percent (versus 91 percent for Caucasians), doctors caution that it’s not a disease that should be ignored.
In one of the most notable cases of skin cancer in the black community, reggae legend Bob Marley discovered a type of malignant melanoma under the nail of one of his toes. The cancer would ultimately spread to Marley’s lungs and brain, causing his death nearly 31 years ago on May 11, 1981.