By Ela Jade Ünal
La-Roche Posay is funding the development of the Skin of Color Skin Toxicity Photo Repository, a “first-of-its-kind” digital database designed for oncology nurses to identify abnormalities in non-white skin tones.
The funding is delivered through a partnership with the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) and aims to address the critical and potentially fatal racial disparity in cancer care. The database focuses on how side effects caused by cancer treatments, such as radiation dermatitis, targeted therapy rashes, and hand-foot syndrome, appear on diverse skin tones.
La Roche-Posay cites that while an estimated 80% of oncology patients suffer skin toxicity effects from cancer treatments. However, the educational materials for medical professionals record a discrepancy in representation, with only 4.5% featuring diverse skin tones. Meanwhile, 40% of the US population is non-white.
This discrepancy in medical representation poses a patient safety risk for the Black community and other communities of color. The inadequate and non-inclusive educational materials cause oncology nurses, who are positioned on the frontline of patient care, to lack the visual tools necessary for early detection and management of toxicities in those with dark skin.
