ASO Author Reflections: Melanoma Killed Bob Marley and Others Too

Excerpt

Incidence of melanoma is disproportionately higher in White populations, and therefore, most people are unaware that survival for Black patients with melanoma is 25% less than for White patients.1 Awareness of the risks of melanoma among Blacks is low. Blacks are also more likely to present with advanced-stage melanoma compared with Whites.2 Many clinicians who diagnose and treat cutaneous neoplasms are unlikely to have received training in the unique characteristics of pigmented skin, thus potentially contributing to the late-stage diagnosis of melanoma in Black patients. Additionally, unequal access to optimal cancer care and clinical trials continues to burden Black patients with melanoma. …