When performing a skin exam to rule out skin cancer in a patient,please do not forget to examine

the feet including  the soles of the feet and toenails.

                  And,it is certainly not true that people with darker skin tones are immune to skin cancer,although some

people with darker skin do develop skin cancer less often than those with lighter skin.

                  However,in my many years of practice I have seen more than a few patients with darker skin types

who turned out to have a very dangerous type of skin cancer called malignant melanoma.

                 And,statistics show that in  people with medium to dark skin which may even include some Hispanic and Asian people,

skin cancer makes up 4-5% and 2-4% of all cancer cases respectively.

                However, when  skin cancer develops in people with darker skin types,it commonly appears  in areas of the skin with

less pigment such as the mucous membranes of the mouth,finger and toe nails,soles of the feet,palms of the

hands,the anogenital region whiuch is the area around the groin and anus, and the lower legs.

                But,an important teaching point here  is that skin cancer often develpos on the sole of the foot in people

with darker skin tones since this accounts for 30  to 40 % of all their skin cancer cases according to the Skin Cancer

Foundation.

              And,a timely diagnosis is crucial before skin cancer reaches its later stages.

              So, Don't Forget the Feet.