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Caucasians report more skin examinations than minorities

Caucasians were found to report self-skin examinations and full-body skin examinations more frequently compared with minorities, according to researchers.

The researchers collected written survey results from 1,040 dermatology clinic patients regarding patients’ age, gender, education level, history of skin cancer and previous experiences with and preferences toward skin examinations.

More Caucasian patients (85.7%) reported having performed a self-skin examination than minorities (63.8%). Caucasians also reported having more full-body skin examinations (77.5%) from a health care provider than minorities (38.9%), during which Caucasian respondents more frequently reported having their hands and feet examined compared with minorities.

Because ethnic minority patients tended to undergo skin examinations less frequently, delays in acral lentiginous melanoma diagnosis were more likely, and melanomas were more likely to be in a more advanced stage once diagnosed, according to the researchers.

Disclosure: The authors have no relevant financial disclosures.