SAN FRANCISCO – Among Asian and Hispanic patients, women are more likely than men are to get nonmelanoma skin cancer, according to a review of 4,029 cases at the University of California, San Diego.
That’s a surprise, because the reverse is true in whites, and skin cancer is generally thought to be more common in men.
About 96% of the cases were in white patients, and two-thirds of those were in men. Among Hispanic and Asian patients, about two-thirds of the cases were in women.
The reason for the gender reversal is unclear, but the study has a clear message, according to study investigator Dr. Arisa Ortiz, director of laser and cosmetic dermatology at the university. She shared that message in an interview at the American Academy of Dermatology annual meeting.