Hereditary cutaneous melanoma

Members of some kindreds have a hereditary predisposition for development o f cutaneous melanoma. Cytogenetic and linkage studies implicated chromosome s 1p and 9p as possible locations for genetic alterations predisposing for melanoma. Germline mutations in the CDKN2A gene on chromosome 9p21 have bee n identified in hereditary melanoma, but are present in only approximately 40% of kindreds with linkage to 9p21, indicating that changes in other gene (s) at this location may also predispose to melanoma. In a few families, ge rmline mutations in the CDK4 gene are present. The genetic alterations unde rlying disease predisposition in a large proportion of melanoma families re main unknown.