Clinical Presentations of Melanoma in African Americans, Hispanics, and Asians

Shauna Higgins, Azadeh Nazemi, Shera Feinstein, Maggie Chow, Ashley Wysong

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

16 Scopus citations

Abstract

BACKGROUNDSkin cancer has traditionally been studied in Caucasian skin. Although it does occur with increased relative frequency in Caucasians, patients with skin of color suffer from elevated morbidity and mortality when diagnosed with skin cancer.OBJECTIVETo detail the unique demographic, clinical, and genetic features of melanoma in patients with skin of color, including Hispanic, African American, and Asian patients.MATERIALS AND METHODSA PubMed search was conducted spanning dates 1947 to June 2017. A total of 246 articles were screened, from which 69 were included in this review.RESULTSRelative to Caucasians, melanoma has unique demographic, clinical, and genetic features in African Americans, Hispanics, and Asians that include gender and subtype predominance.CONCLUSIONFamiliarization with these unique presentations of skin cancer in skin of color is imperative to accurate identification and treatment of cutaneous malignancies in these populations and ultimately to improved disease-related outcomes.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)791-801
Number of pages11
JournalDermatologic Surgery
Volume45
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 1 2019

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Surgery
  • Dermatology

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Clinical Presentations of Melanoma in African Americans, Hispanics, and Asians'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this