Germline determinants of clinical outcome of cutaneous melanoma.
Cutaneous melanoma (CM) is the most lethal form of skin cancer. Despite the constant increase in melanoma incidence, which is in part due to incremental advances in early diagnostic modalities, mortality rates have not improved over the last decade and for advanced stages remain steadily high. While conventional prognostic biomarkers currently in use find significant utility for predicting overall general survival probabilities, they are not sensitive enough for a more personalized clinical assessment on an individual level. In recent years, the advent of genomic technologies has brought the promise of identification of germline DNA alterations that may associate with CM outcomes and hence represent novel biomarkers for clinical utilization. This review attempts to summarize the current state of knowledge of germline genetic factors studied for their impact on melanoma clinical outcomes. We also discuss ongoing problems and hurdles in validating such surrogates, and we also project future directions in discovery of more powerful germline genetic factors with clinical utility in melanoma prognostication.
Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.|Departments of Population Health and Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.|The Interdisciplinary Melanoma Cooperative Group, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
Matjaz
M
Vogelsang
Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.|The Interdisciplinary Melanoma Cooperative Group, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.|Department of Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
Melissa
M
Wilson
Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.|Departments of Population Health and Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.|The Interdisciplinary Melanoma Cooperative Group, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
Tomas
T
Kirchhoff
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008545:Melanoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D057170:Translational Research, Biomedical; D000096142:Cutaneous Malignant Melanoma
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor
cutanenous melanoma; germline gene-tic markers; prognosis; survival