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Two black women (Monica and Brandi) sit at a table in a street café, eat lunch together and talk.
Monica: What are you going to wear to Stacey’s party next month?
Brandi: Probably a black dress. The one with the –
Monica: (reaches for her glass of water, revealing a dark spot on her palm)
Brandi: Monica, what do you have on hand?
Monica: This place? (points to the spot on the palm). Not sure. It just seemed to show up one day. And guess what? It’s actually been bothering me lately. It itches and is a little tender.
Brandi: Have you had it checked?
Monica: No. I’m sure it’s no big deal.
Brandi: This kind of reminds me of how Stacey said her skin cancer looked like.
Monica: But she’s light-skinned. Darker skinned people like us don’t have to worry about this. I never burn myself.
Brandi: Yeah, but I think you should at least watch it.
Monica: Well, I’m going to the dermatologist in a few weeks to try one of these skin resurfacing laser treatments. Then I can address it.
Monica sits in the examination chair in the dermatologist’s office. She’s doing one of those fancy laser facial treatments.
A few weeks later…
Doctor: All done! This should help combat some of the fine lines that are causing you concern.
Monica: Oh, before I go, my friend promised me to ask you about that spot on my hand. I told her it was nothing, but can you take a quick look?
Monica’s dermatologist grabs a magnifying glass, adjusts her headlamp to shine on her palm, leans over and examines the mole on her palm.
Monica’s doctor quickly takes a skin sample of the mole and packages it for biopsy.
Doctor: That actually looks a bit suspicious.
Monica: Really? How does it look?
Doctor: It could be early melanoma.
Monica: On the palm of my hand?
Doctor: Yes. In people with darker skin, melanomas are actually more common in areas that don’t get a lot of sun, such as: B. on the palm of the hand, on the soles of the feet, under the nails or even in the mouth.
Monica: I had no idea. I rarely use sunscreen—unless I’m at the beach or something—because my skin never seems to burn.
Doctor: Many people of color don’t realize that they are also susceptible to skin cancer. And that not all skin cancer is caused by sun exposure. It’s true that lighter skin is at greater risk, but I also diagnose it in black people – even those who never have a sunburn. I’ll have a biopsy done and call you with the results.
Monica receives a call from the doctor.
Monica: Hello?
Doctor: Hello, Monica. Just as I suspected, this mole is early-stage melanoma. The good news is that you brought this to my attention and we caught it early. I will make an appointment for you to come in and have it removed.
Monica: Wow. I’m so glad I had it checked.
Doctor: Yes, it’s great that you brought this mole to my attention. Come in for annual checkups, monitor your skin between appointments, and be sure to come see me if you notice anything else suspicious.
Even though this melanoma likely wasn’t caused by sun exposure, it’s still important to wear sunscreen. Use SPF 30 or higher. You want to find a brand with zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide. Zinc can leave a white cast on the skin, but it creates a tinted cast on people of color.
Monica: Thank you!
Monica is at Stacey’s party with her friend Brandi. They stand together at a high cocktail table, chatting with a drink in each hand. Brandi is wearing her black dress and Monica is also dressed smartly. The party takes place outside on a roof and the sun is still shining.
Monica applies sunscreen and offers some to Brandi
Monica: Thank you again for encouraging me to get the mole checked, Brandi.
Brandi: Of course. I’m so glad the surgery took care of it. A great reminder to apply sunscreen. To be honest, I’ve been slacking off too.
Monica: Speaking of which… (takes out a tube of SPF 30, puts some on her exposed skin and offers it to Brandi).
Brandi: Thank you!
Possible skin cancer symptoms in people of color
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A dark spot, growth, or patch on the skin that changes shape, becomes larger, or bleeds
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A rough or dry spot on the skin
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A dark line in or around your finger or toenail bed
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A wound that does not heal or heals over time and recurs
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A wound that occurs or reoccurs in a scar or at the site of a previous injury
For more information, visit HealthyWomen.org.
This resource was created with support from Merck.