Melanoma is a form of skin cancer that is highly curable when caught early. While melanoma only accounts for a small portion of skin cancer cases, it is the cause of most skin cancer-related deaths. The number of new melanomas diagnosed in the United States is rising rapidly, with over 59,000 new cases diagnosed each year.
While the cause of all melanomas is not known, it is estimated that 10 percent of melanomas are associated with familial or inherited syndromes. Most hereditary melanoma is believed to be caused by mutations in a specific gene called p16. The p16 gene, when functioning normally, protects against unchecked cell growth. However, when the p16 gene is damaged, cells are allowed to grow in an unregulated way and cause cancer. Alterations in this gene significantly increase your risk of melanoma and pancreatic cancer.
Inherited Risk Factors
Many individuals are unaware of their inherited risk, although they may be aware of a cancer history in their family. Whether or not you've had cancer, the following conditions might indicate hereditary cancer risk:
- Two or more melanomas in an individual or family
- Melanoma and pancreatic cancer in an individual or family
- Relatives of a p16 mutation carrier
How is this risk inherited? We're all born with two copies of about 30,000 different genes, one copy of each gene from our mother and the other from our father. When we have inherited a mutation in a specific gene from either parent, it makes us more susceptible to certain cancers. A person with these gene mutations has a higher risk of developing cancer and also may pass that altered gene on to his or her children.
» Reducing the Risk of Melanoma
A genetic test for hereditary melanoma