White woman turns black after skin cells get "confused" by two rare conditions

Sabrina Gomes, 24, has seen her skin get progressively darker since having a surgical procedure two years ago, but has had to fight in court to get the expensive treatment that could reverse it

A young woman with a rare hormonal disorder as well as an even rarer form of cancer has revealed how both conditions has caused her skin colour to change from white to black.

Sabrina Gomes, 24, was 15 when she was diagnosed with Cushing’s syndrome as well as a thymoma, a tumour in the thymus gland.

The cancer causes the body to produce too much of the cortisol hormone, due to an overproduction of the adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), as well as respiratory problems and hypertension.

Cushing’s syndrome, caused by long-term exposure to high levels of cortisol in the body, can result in issues such as weight gain, skin infections and a round face.

But after a procedure in 2022 to remove her adrenal glands which produce cortisol, Sabrina, from Fortaleza in Brazil, noticed her skin colour was darkening. And within two years she has gone from light olive to dark brown.

She told Brazil’s G1 website: “That surgery left my skin darker, then the tumour makes too much of the ACTH hormone which also has an effect on my colour. While the tumour is getting bigger I’m getting darker and darker.”

Medics explained that while the removal of Sabrina’s adrenal glands stopped her body’s production of cortisol, the tumour has continued to stimulate the overproduction of ACTH.

ACTH is biologically similar to the MSH hormone, which stimulates the production of melanin, which produces hair, eye and skin pigmentation.

Doctors believe that the high levels of ACTH in Sabrina’s body means cell receptors are "confusing" it with MSH, causing her skin to get darker and darker.

However, due to the location of the tumour, which is now 17cm wide, close to the oesophagus, heart and arteries, they have ruled out surgery to remove it due to the high risk.

The only available treatment is radioisotope therapy, which uses a radioactive drug that seeks out and destroys cancer cells while minimising damage to health cells, but which costs around £4,500 per dose.

In December last year Sabrina went to court to force the health ministry in Ceara state where she lives to provide the drug free of charge. But despite a judge ruling in her favour in March this year, and another judge in August demanding the ministry comply with the court order, she still hasn’t been told when the treatment will start.

Sabrina said the rapidly-growing tumour is also having serious consequences on her health.

"I'm not sleeping well. My skin has darkened significantly. It's difficult to walk because I become very tired. I did a scan recently and it showed water in my lungs. All because of the tumour."

She says she hopes the local health ministry will release the life-saving treatment soon. "We've gone there, we've taken the documents that show how serious this is, but it hasn't changed anything," she says.