Breast cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer -- the list of cancers that disproportionately affect African Americans is long and scary. Skin cancer, usually associated with people with fair skin, is not on that list. In fact, many blacks believe that the pigmentation in their skin protects them from this particular form of the disease.

It's true that dark skin provides some protection from UV rays and that blacks are less likely to get skin cancer than others, but it is dangerous -- and potentially deadly -- to assume that because you have dark skin you are immune.

"Pigmentation doesn't give you a free pass," Dr. Charles E. Crutchfield III, a dermatologist with African American skin cancer patients, told CNN recently. "It doesn't matter what color your skin is, everyone can get skin cancer." Studies show that when blacks do get skin cancer, it is often discovered at a later stage and is more deadly. Musician Bob Marley, for instance, died of malignant melanoma, an aggressive skin cancer that spread to his organs.

Sunscreen is the first layer of defense against the sun's dangerous rays, but a Consumer Reports poll shows that while 67 percent of people identifying themselves as light-skinned wear sunscreen, only 27 percent of dark-skinned people do. Experts recommend that everyone, regardless of skin color, protect themselves with SPF 15 sunscreen.

For black people with skin cancer, melanoma will usually appear in places where there is less pigmentation, like the palms of the hands, bottoms of the feet, under nails and on the genitals, but it may look different based on skin tone. The best way to be safe is to get any suspicious growths or moles checked out, just as you would a lump in your breast. It may be less likely that you'll have skin cancer, but no one is immune.