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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 social gathering subsequent month?
Brandi: In all probability a black costume. 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 in the future. And you realize what? It’s really been bothering me currently. It’s itchy and a little bit tender.
Brandi: Have you ever gotten it checked out?
Monica: No. I’m certain it’s no huge deal.
Brandi: That kinda jogs my memory of how Stacey mentioned her skin cancer seemed.
Monica: However she’s fair-skinned. Darker skinned folks like us don’t have to fret about that. I by no means get burned.
Brandi: Yeah, however I believe you need to not less than get it checked out.
Monica: Effectively, I’m going to the dermatologist in a couple of weeks to attempt a type 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 type of fancy laser therapies on her face.
A pair weeks later …
Physician: All executed! This could assist battle a few of these effective strains you’re involved about.
Monica: Oh earlier than I am going, my good friend 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 really seems a bit suspicious.
Monica: Actually? What does it appear like?
Physician: It could possibly be early melanoma.
Monica: On the palm of my hand?
Physician: Sure. In folks with darker pores and skin, melanoma really reveals up extra in areas that don’t get quite a lot of solar, like your palm, bottoms of the ft, below your nails and even inside your mouth.
Monica: I had no concept. I barely even use sunscreen – until I’m on the seaside 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 vulnerable to pores and skin most cancers. And that not all pores and skin most cancers is brought on by solar publicity. It’s true that lighter pores and skin is extra in danger, however I additionally diagnose it in Black folks — 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: Howdy?
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 in for yearly checks, preserve tabs in your pores and skin between appointments and undoubtedly come see me in the event you discover the rest suspicious.
Additionally, despite the fact that solar publicity in all probability didn’t trigger this melanoma, it’s nonetheless necessary to put on sunscreen. Use SPF 30 or increased. You’ll wish to discover a model with zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide. Zinc can go away a white forged in your pores and skin, however they make tinted ones for folks of coloration.
Monica: Thanks!
Monica is at Stacey’s social gathering together with her good friend 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 costume and Monica is dressed up as nicely. The social gathering is exterior on a rooftop and the solar remains to be out.
Monica places on sunscreen and provides some to Brandi
Monica: Thanks once more for encouraging me to get that mole checked out, Brandi.
Brandi: In fact. I’m so glad the surgical procedure took care of it. An important reminder to placed on sunscreen. Truthfully, 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 provides it to Brandi).
Brandi: Thanks!
Potential pores and skin most cancers signs in folks of coloration
- A darkish spot, development or patch of pores and skin that’s altering form, getting greater 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 info, go to HealthyWomen.org.
This useful resource was created with help from Merck.
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