Skin Cancer Is Not Just a Fair-Skin Disease: Closing the Melanoma Gap
Melanoma can be deadlier for people of color because it is caught late, which makes awareness and skin checks essential for everyone.
Dermatology coverage in 2025 spotlighted persistent disparities: Black patients have a 5-year melanoma survival rate around 70% versus 92% for non-Hispanic White patients, driven largely by later-stage diagnosis and lower self-perceived risk.
Dermatologists emphasize that melanoma in people of color is often diagnosed at a later, more advanced stage, and that closing the survival gap depends heavily on earlier detection and broader awareness.
Questions we get a lot
Can people with darker skin get melanoma?
Yes. While melanoma is less common in people with darker skin, it does occur, and outcomes are often worse. Black patients have a 5-year melanoma survival rate around 70% compared with 92% for non-Hispanic White patients, largely because diagnosis tends to happen at a later stage. Skin cancer is not exclusively a fair-skin disease.
Why is melanoma survival lower for people of color?
The gap is driven largely by later-stage diagnosis rather than biology alone. Lower self-perceived risk, fewer routine skin checks, and melanomas appearing in less-examined areas all contribute to delays. Dermatology coverage in 2025 highlighted these missed diagnoses and missed opportunities as the core issue to address.
Should people with darker skin still use sunscreen and get skin checks?
Yes. Although more melanin offers some natural protection, it does not prevent skin cancer, and late diagnosis makes outcomes worse for people of color. Daily broad-spectrum sunscreen and regular skin self-exams remain important across all skin tones. Awareness and earlier detection are key to closing the survival gap.
r/SkincareAddiction: 'I have darker skin and was told I don't really need sunscreen or skin checks. Is that actually true?'