George Washington University Medical Students Lead Event Addressing Disparity in Skin Cancer Morbidity and Mortality
Sarah Millan, BA and Adam Friedman, MD, FAAD
MDedge Dermatology
Those who self-identify as Hispanic or Black have a lower self-perceived risk of melanoma. In fact, people of color receive little to no information concerning skin cancer risks and prevention strategies. They often experience a longer time from diagnosis to definitive surgery, resulting in far worse outcomes, compared with non-Hispanic Whites. While the average 5-year survival rate for melanoma is 92% in White patients, it drops to 67% in Black patients. This reality is what led Sarah Millan, a 4th-year medical student at George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences to focus on the Ward 8 community in Washington, D.C. – one of the poorest regions in our nation’s capital – well known for limited access to medical care and referred to as a health care desert.
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