Malignant melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer, and it is characterized by the uncontrollable growth of melanocytes (skin cells that produce melanin). In the United States, melanoma affects 30 out of 100,000 men and 18 out of 100,000 women (\u201cMelanoma\u201d, 2018).<\/p>\n\n\n\n The graphic above illustrates the\nprogression of melanoma. The disease gets more serious as it spreads deeper\ninto the skin. The survival rate of\nmelanoma at the first stage is at 98.5%, and it drops down to 22.5% at the final\nstage (\u201cMelanoma Survival Rates\u201d, n.d).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Melanoma is a condition where a single gene doesn\u2019t dictate the disease. However, there are many genes that are linked to the disease. Two of the main genes are CDKN2A and BAP1. A mutation of the CDKN2A is linked to greater risk of developing melanoma. (Hayward, 2003). The specific mutation of CDKN2A disrupts the proteins that function as tumor suppressants. The mutation of this gene also leads to developing melanoma at a younger age and greater risks of other cancers. With the CDKN2A mutation, you are around 28% more likely to develop melanoma (\u201cCDKN2A\u201d, n.d.). Another gene linked to melanoma is BAP1. A dominant inherited allele on the rs387906848 SNP causes BAP1 tumor predisposition syndrome (\u201crs387906848\u201d, n.d.). This condition increases the risk of cancerous and noncancerous tumors from 14% to 29%. The BAP1 mutation also has an incidence of malignancy of around 70% (Carbone et al., 2013).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Why\nGet Tested?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n While genetic tests won\u2019t say you\u2019re set to develop melanoma, it will make you aware of certain risks associated with the disease. Because there are so many genes associated with melanoma, a single gene DNA sequence, whole genome sequence, or a SNP Chip test are recommended. Since the genes linked to melanoma are known, a test would analyze the presence or mutation associated with each gene. Companies such as AmbryGenetics, Invitae, and GeneDx offer genetic tests that will analyze genes associated with melanoma. These tests will indicate if you are more at risk to develop melanoma. When looking at tests, it is best to use one that is able to scan for multiple genes. The whole genome test, while expensive, will show your exact genetic markup. The SNP Chip test is a cheaper alternative that looks at the specific melanoma related genes. Ultimately when deciding on a test, it depends how much you want to know and how much you are willing to spend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Think Before you Spit<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the main reasons to not take\na test is that it won\u2019t clearly tell you if you will develop melanoma. Around\n90% of people who develop melanoma do not have a genetic mutation that accounts\nfor it (\u201cShould I Get\u201d, n.d.). Environmental factors such as UV radiation are\nthe main cause of melanoma. The test results may be confusing for some\nconsumers, and it may cause them to make irrational decisions. Therefore,\nbecause of the limited predictive value of the tests, genetic tests for\nmelanoma are not worth the time and money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ethical\nConsiderations<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n There are some concerns with privacy associated with genetic testing. Some patients are concerned that genetic test results may result in discrimination by insurance providers. However there are laws such as the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act that helps protect patients. There are other ethical concerns associated with genetic testing. For instance, there can be liability issues associated with genetic test results. An example of this is a patient\u2019s decision to conceive children or to terminate pregnancies based on test results (Dickens, Pei, & Taylor, 1996). Genetic tests effectively dictate the decisions people make, and some people may not fully understand the results of the test. Test results can cause stress, and they can drastically change lifestyles. There is also concern about employer discrimination associated with genetic test results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Asking\nthe Right Questions Before Getting the Test<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n For melanoma, genetic tests aren\u2019t the sole decider of the disease. The genetic test results will show different genes that put you at risk to develop it. For example, if someone tests positive for the BASP1 tumor predisposition syndrome, it is likely that one of their parents had the condition. This is because the syndrome is autosomal dominant.\u00a0 If someone tests positive for genes associated with melanoma, they should be aware of the risks. The first thing to realize is that you aren\u2019t guaranteed to get it. If you are careful about sun exposure and annual skin screening, you can easily prevent the disease. If they test negative, they should not think that they won\u2019t get the disease and ignore safe lifestyle. People should follow the same advice if they test negative for the melanoma associated genes. Patients should disclose their results with doctors. If they are at risk for developing melanoma, they should make dermatologists aware so that the patient can take preventative measures. References<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Carbone, M., Yang, H., Pass, H. I., Krausz, T., Testa,\nJ. R., & Gaudino, G. (2013). BAP1 and cancer. Nature reviews. Cancer,\n13(3), 153\u2013159. doi:10.1038\/nrc3459 <\/p>\n\n\n\n CDKN2A. (n.d.). Retrieved from\nhttps:\/\/www.snpedia.com\/index.php\/CDKN2A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dickens, B. M., Pei, N., & Taylor, K. M. (1996).\nLegal and ethical issues in genetic testing and counseling for susceptibility\nto breast, ovarian and colon cancer. CMAJ: Canadian Medical Association journal\n= journal de l’Association medicale canadienne, 154(6), 813\u2013818. Retrieved from\nhttps:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC1487772\/ <\/p>\n\n\n\n Hayward, N. Genetics of melanoma predisposition.\nOncogene 22, 3053\u20133062 (2003) https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/1206445#citeas <\/p>\n\n\n\n Melanoma – Genetics Home Reference – NIH. (2018,\nAugust). Retrieved from https:\/\/ghr.nlm.nih.gov\/condition\/melanoma#statistics <\/p>\n\n\n\n Melanoma Survival Rates. (n.d.). Retrieved from\nhttps:\/\/www.curemelanoma.org\/about-melanoma\/melanoma-staging\/melanoma-survival-rates\/\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n rs387906848. (n.d.). Retrieved from\nhttps:\/\/www.snpedia.com\/index.php\/Rs387906848<\/p>\n\n\n\n Should I Get Genetic Testing For Melanoma? (n.d.).\nRetrieved from\nhttps:\/\/www.aad.org\/diseases\/skin-cancer\/melanoma-genetic-testing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By: Zach O’Connor What is melanoma? Malignant melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer, and it is characterized by the uncontrollable growth of melanocytes (skin cells that produce melanin). In the United States, melanoma affects 30 out of 100,000 men and 18 out of 100,000 women (\u201cMelanoma\u201d, 2018). The graphic above illustrates the … Continue reading Melanoma<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3184,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[110],"tags":[109,99],"class_list":["post-2935","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-genetic-testing","tag-genetictesting","tag-zachoconnor"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ctlsites.uga.edu\/biol2013h-2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2935","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ctlsites.uga.edu\/biol2013h-2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ctlsites.uga.edu\/biol2013h-2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ctlsites.uga.edu\/biol2013h-2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3184"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ctlsites.uga.edu\/biol2013h-2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2935"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ctlsites.uga.edu\/biol2013h-2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2935\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ctlsites.uga.edu\/biol2013h-2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2935"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ctlsites.uga.edu\/biol2013h-2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2935"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ctlsites.uga.edu\/biol2013h-2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2935"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ctlsites.uga.edu\/biol2013h-2019\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/832\/2019\/12\/image-18.png\")
Source:https:\/\/www.alamy.com\/stock-image-schematic-illustration-of-the-process-and-development-of-melanoma-167890640.html<\/a>
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"PAn](\"http:\/\/bioethicsobservatory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/Genetic-test.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ctlsites.uga.edu\/biol2013h-2019\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/832\/2019\/12\/image-19.png\")
The best way to prevent melanoma is to cover up, use sunscreen, and stay in shade as much as possible. Source: https:\/\/www.everydayhealth.com\/melanoma\/preventing-melanoma-reducing-sun-exposure-damage-key\/<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n