Role of Heredity in Melanoma Susceptibility: A Primer for the Practicing Surgeon.

Melanoma is a deadly skin cancer linked to ultraviolet radiation exposure. Heritable traits and sporadic mutations modify an individual's risk for melanoma that may be associated with phenotype. Familial/heritable melanomas are broadly used to describe families with an increased incidence of melanomas, although the underlying mutation may be unknown. Mutations associated with melanoma occur in cell cycle regulation, tumor suppression, chromosomal stability, DNA repair, pigmentation, and melanocyte differentiation genes. Genetic testing of individuals with a family history of melanoma may provide additional etiologic information and ensure patients with known markers for cancer development are closely monitored by physicians.