Skin Cancer and the Hispanic Population

Skin Cancer
and the Hispanic Population

According to the National Library of Medicine, National Center for Biotechnology Information (NIH), the incidence of melanoma among Hispanics has risen by 20% over the past two decades. Hispanics are often diagnosed at a younger age, with thicker tumors, and experience worse survival rates compared to white populations. Although the overall incidence of non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) and malignant melanoma (MM) is lower in Hispanics than in Caucasians, mortality is higher.

Several factors contribute to these disparities:

1. Limited awareness of risks or symptoms, leading to fewer linguistically and culturally targeted screening efforts.

2. Decline in sun-safe behaviors due to increasing acculturation (*).

3. Limited access to health insurance—more than 15% of Hispanics in the last census lacked medical coverage, causing delays in seeking treatment.

Hispanic workers in construction and landscaping are frequently exposed to the sun, increasing their risk of developing skin cancer over time. A lack of awareness about preventive measures contributes to unnecessary illness and deaths within the community.

Latinas in Construction is collaborating with Dr. Alejandra Hurtado de Mendoza and her team at the Cancer Prevention and Control program at Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, on a project called SOLAR, which promotes skin cancer prevention among Hispanic outdoor workers. Together, we have produced a video to raise awareness about this growing problem.

The video will be launching soon and will be available on our website and social media channels.

For more information about the work of Dr. Hurtado de Mendoza and her team, we invite you to visit their website: https://hurtadodemendoza.facultysite.georgetown.edu/

To read the article of the National Library of Medicine, National Center for Biotechnology Information (NIH), please follow this link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30909356/

(*) assimilation to a different culture, typically the dominant one.