Rare Cutaneous Malignancies in Skin of Color.

Abstract

There is a scarcity of information regarding the clinical characteristics of rare cutaneous malignancies in skin of color that has yet to be comprehensively explored. To review and compile the racial differences in epidemiology, clinical presentation, histology, treatments, and outcomes of 3 rare skin cancers: dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP), Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC), and sebaceous carcinoma (SC). Several searches with keywords denoting specific skin cancer type and race were conducted on PubMed to complete this narrative review. We analyzed 50 sources that were relevant to the initial objective. The literature demonstrates that there are nuances in DFSP, MCC, and SC unique to African Americans, Asians/Pacific Islanders, and Hispanics that may differ significantly from Caucasian counterparts. African Americans consistently suffer from the worst clinical outcomes in all 3 rare cutaneous malignancies reviewed. Greater physician awareness and knowledge of the discussed racial differences is the preliminary step to address these disparities.