HEALTHCARE


Anyone Can Get Skin Cancer —Learn How to Protect the Skin You’re In!


Y


ou may have heard that people with light skin, light-colored hair,


and blue or green eyes have a greater risk for developing skin cancer. But did you know that people with darker skin are at risk for skin cancer too? It doesn’t matter whether you consider your skin light, dark, or somewhere in between—anyone can get skin cancer. While skin cancer is less common among people with darker skin, it is often detected at later or advanced stages. In fact, data show that when Hispanics and other minority Ameri- cans are diagnosed with melanoma,


the most severe form of skin cancer, it is usually at a later stage, when the dis- ease is harder to treat. This later diagnosis occurs partly because many people—even doctors— have long assumed that the pigment melanin in darker skin can protect against skin cancer. However, although melanin does help prevent sunburns, the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays can still damage skin.


Also, the sun isn’t the only cause of skin cancer. That’s why skin cancer may be found in places on your body that never see the sun. For example,


you may be more likely to develop skin cancer if you come into contact with certain chemicals or poisons, have scars or skin ulcers, or use medicines or develop medical conditions (such as HIV infection) that suppress the immune system. While family history and genetics are risk factors for skin cancer in Caucasian Americans, these have not been studied in people with darker skin.


It is important to identify the signs and symptoms of skin cancer early. When skin cancer is found early, it can be treated more easily. A change


Explaining Breast Cancer Risk by the Numbers


By the National Cancer Institute S


ometimes it can be dificult to understand people taling about cancer especiall doctors scientists and reporters.


art o the reason is because the use so man numbers and statistics ithout eplaining eactl hat the mean.  a- mous philosopher once said that athematics is the language o science. ut most o us dont spea that language ver ell. ere are some as to thin about the numbers that pro- essionals ma use hen taling about cancer. or eample man o the numbers ou ill see or hear


about ispanic omens ris o breast cancer are a statistic non as incidence. his is a general number that tells ou hat is happening out in the orld right no. t loos at a group o living people  a group that is large and general enough to be considered average  and tells ou ho man o them got the disease ou are taling about.


66 HISPANIC NETWORK MAGAZINE an statistics use percentages  hich means a rac-


tional piece o    percent o something alas means all o it. So i ou ent to lunch ith  riends and onl  o ou had ine that ould be  percent. he incidence o breast cancer in omen in a recent ear as . in  hich means that ar eer than  percent o all ispanic omen got breast cancer in that ear. or  this translates to an estimated  ne cases in the nited States. What is the chance that ou ill get breast cancer o hat about our on personal ris  breast cancer


runs in our amil our ris ill be higher than that o someone ho is our same age i that oman doesnt have close relatives ith the disease. his is because amil mem- bers share important genes and the also tend to live in simi- lar environments. ther personal ris actors such as our


Celebrating 19 Years of Diversity www.hnmagazine.com


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