Black people are far less likely than white people to develop skin cancer, but they also have much lower survival rates. With the deadliest form of skin cancer, nearly 90 percent of white people will live for at least five years after their diagnosis, compared to just 66 percent of African Americans.
There are many reasons for this striking disparity, including systemic racism, lack of access to health care and deeply rooted mistrust in mainstream doctors by the black community. And there’s one deceptively simple explanation: Most dermatologists are white, and white doctors are rarely trained to look at and make diagnoses in dark-colored skin.
Dr. Jenna Lester, who may be the only black dermatologist in San Francisco, is trying to change that. She’s started a “skin of color” clinic at UCSF, focused on addressing the specific needs of patients with darker skin.
