Scientists Closing In on Gene Linked to Inherited Melanoma

Geneticists from the University of Utah Medical Center announced a breakthrough in genetic detection Thursday that confirms that lethal skin cancer can be inherited.

Speaking at a meeting of the American Society of Human Genetics, the researchers said they identified a chromosome region believed to contain a gene that when mutated can cause melanoma.

About 7,800 Americans die of melanoma every year. Identifying the region of the gene may lead to identifying the gene, which would make it easier to warn people who are susceptible to the disease so they can protect themselves against it.

“Melanoma should be easy to prevent,” said Dr. Mark Skolnick, one of the study’s authors. “If you know you have the predisposition you should be able to prevent it.”

Melanoma can be caused by such factors as overexposure to the sun, particularly for pale-skinned people.

“It’s entirely curable when detected early,” said Dr. Laurence Meyer of the University of Utah Medical Center.

Dr. Lisa Cannon-Albright, lead author of the study of 1,000 adults, said the findings also held out the promise that scientists may learn how to detect other cancer-causing genes.

“What the study suggests is that common cancers can be genetically mapped,” Cannon-Albright said. “We plan to do this same sort of thing with lots of different cancers.”

A full report on the study appears in the Nov. 13 issue of the journal Science.

According to the Science report, melanoma is diagnosed in about 32,000 Americans every year.