Researchers are not able to fully explain the disparity, but suggested that because skin cancer is more likely to occur in light-skinned people, whites tend to receive more attention and earlier diagnosis. The main challenge in blacks is that melanoma is not detected in its early stages and is allowed to progress to a point where it may become life threatening.
Nowhere in scientific discussions of skin cancer is there any rational evaluation of the role of sunlight as a healing therapy. A growing collection of scientific evidence shows that sensible sunlight exposure produces vitamin D, which acts as powerful anti-cancer medicine and halts the growth of cancer tumors. Vitamin D therapy, research shows, slashes the risk of breast cancer by over 50 percent while also reducing skin cancer risk.
In other words, sensible sunlight actually prevents skin cancer, while sunscreen products promote cancer by infusing the skin with carcinogenic chemicals and fragrance synthetics commonly used in sunscreen products. Sunscreen is not a cancer prevention product, and sunscreen manufacturers are now engaged in class action lawsuits that claim many sunscreen products offer little or no real protection against skin cancer in the first place, or that such products mislead consumers regarding the degree of protection.
The dermatology industry, however, maintains strong financial ties to sunscreen manufacturers, and the position of dermatology continues to be based on the now-outdated idea that all sun is bad for you, and all sunscreen ingredients and chemicals are harmless.
Even the American Cancer Society, which promotes sunscreen use, maintains strong financial ties to sunscreen manufacturers and other consumer products companies that sell products containing synthetic chemicals to the public. A new book to be released tomorrow, The Hundred-Year Lie by Randall Fitzgerald, exposes many of the deceptions and distortions used to promote personal care products.
The real reason why blacks are more likely to be diganosed with late-stage melanoma is because people with black skin need more sunlight exposure than those with white skin in order to generate the same amount of vitamin D. That's because dark skin pigmentation blocks ultraviolet light, which is used by the body to produce vitamin D. Accordingly, most people with dark skin living in North America suffer from chronic vitamin D deficiencies that predispose them to many types of cancer, including melanoma. See The Healing Power of Sunlight and Vitamin D for more information.