It is well known that people with darker skin get deeper tans and burn less quickly than other people. But does that mean better protection against skin cancer?

The answer is not clear-cut. Although darker-skinned people face a lower risk of skin cancer, they are more likely to develop more aggressive forms of the disease and more likely to die from it.

A large part of the problem is a false sense of security. Dark skin has higher amounts of melanin that can filter as much as twice the amount of ultraviolet radiation as paler skin. But that protection still falls short of what doctors recommend when using sunscreen: a skin protection factor, or SPF, of 15 or more. And because many people with dark skin believe that it provides complete immunity, experts say, they often overlook early warning signs.

A 2006 study in The Archives of Internal Medicine looked at more than 1,500 people with melanoma. It found that whites were far less likely to have late-stage melanoma than blacks, Hispanics, American Indians and Asians. On average, whites also had a greater five-year survival rate (90 percent) than the others (less than 80 percent).

Another study last year in The Archives of Dermatology looked at 1,700 cases of melanoma reported in Florida over a five-year period and had similar results.

THE BOTTOM LINE

People with darker skin tones have a lower risk of skin cancer, but are more likely to die from it.