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Picture
Dialogue
Two Black girls (Monica and Brandi) are sitting at a desk at an outside cafe having lunch collectively and chatting.
Monica: What are you going to put on to Stacey’s occasion subsequent month?
Brandi: In all probability a black gown. The one with the —
Monica: (reaches for her glass of water, exposing a darkish spot on her palm within the course of)
Brandi: Monica, what’s in your hand?
Monica: This spot? (factors to identify on palm). Undecided. It appeared to only present up someday. And you recognize what? It’s truly been bothering me recently. It’s itchy and slightly tender.
Brandi: Have you ever gotten it checked out?
Monica: No. I’m certain it’s no massive deal.
Brandi: That kinda jogs my memory of how Stacey mentioned her skin cancer regarded.
Monica: However she’s fair-skinned. Darker skinned individuals like us don’t have to fret about that. I by no means get burned.
Brandi: Yeah, however I feel you must not less than get it checked out.
Monica: Effectively, I’m going to the dermatologist in just a few weeks to attempt a kind of pores and skin resurfacing laser therapies. I can deliver it up then.
Monica is sitting within the examination chair on the dermatologist’s workplace. She is ending up a kind of fancy laser therapies on her face.
A pair weeks later …
Physician: All executed! This could assist battle a few of these superb traces you’re involved about.
Monica: Oh earlier than I am going, my buddy made me promise to ask you about this spot on my hand. I informed her it was nothing, however can you’re taking a fast look?
Monica’s dermatologist reaches for a magnifying glass, adjusts her headlamp to shine onto her palm, and leans ahead and examines the mole on her palm.
Monica’s physician takes a fast pores and skin pattern of the mole and packages it up for biopsy.
Physician: This truly appears a bit suspicious.
Monica: Actually? What does it appear to be?
Physician: It could possibly be early melanoma.
Monica: On the palm of my hand?
Physician: Sure. In individuals with darker pores and skin, melanoma truly reveals up extra in areas that don’t get lots of solar, like your palm, bottoms of the ft, beneath your nails and even inside your mouth.
Monica: I had no thought. I barely even use sunscreen – except I’m on the seashore or one thing – as a result of my pores and skin by no means appears to burn.
Physician: Lots of people of coloration don’t notice that they’re additionally liable to pores and skin most cancers. And that not all pores and skin most cancers is attributable to solar publicity. It’s true that lighter pores and skin is extra in danger, however I additionally diagnose it in Black individuals — even those that by no means burn. I’m going to have this biopsied and can name you with the outcomes.
Monica will get a telephone name from the physician.
Monica: Good day?
Physician: Hello, Monica. Identical to I suspected, that mole is early stage melanoma. The excellent news is you introduced it to my consideration, and we caught it early. I’m going to schedule you to return in and get it eliminated.
Monica: Wow. I’m so glad I had it checked.
Physician: Sure, it’s nice that you simply introduced that mole to my consideration. Are available for yearly checks, preserve tabs in your pores and skin between appointments and undoubtedly come see me should you discover anything suspicious.
Additionally, regardless that solar publicity in all probability didn’t trigger this melanoma, it’s nonetheless necessary to put on sunscreen. Use SPF 30 or larger. You’ll wish to discover a model with zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide. Zinc can depart a white solid in your pores and skin, however they make tinted ones for individuals of coloration.
Monica: Thanks!
Monica is at Stacey’s occasion along with her buddy Brandi. They’re standing collectively at a excessive prime cocktail desk with a drink in every of their fingers chatting. Brandi is in her black gown and Monica is dressed up as properly. The occasion is outdoors on a rooftop and the solar continues to be out.
Monica places on sunscreen and affords some to Brandi
Monica: Thanks once more for encouraging me to get that mole checked out, Brandi.
Brandi: After all. I’m so glad the surgical procedure took care of it. An incredible reminder to placed on sunscreen. Actually, I’ve been slacking too.
Monica: Talking of which … (pulls out a tube of SPF 30, slathers some on her uncovered pores and skin and affords it to Brandi).
Brandi: Thanks!
Attainable pores and skin most cancers signs in individuals of coloration
- A darkish spot, progress or patch of pores and skin that’s altering form, getting larger or bleeding
- A tough or dry patch of pores and skin
- A darkish line in or round your finger or toenail mattress
- A sore that isn’t therapeutic or heals and returns over time
- A sore that seems or reappears in a scar or web site of earlier damage
For extra data, go to HealthyWomen.org.
This useful resource was created with help from Merck.
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