New research shows that inherited melanomas are more common than previously realized. Specifically, in a study of almost 700,000 people, about 1 in 100-200 individuals had a mutation in a melanoma risk gene. Many of the mutations detected were in the MITF gene (E318K variant), and the overall prevalence of gene mutations was over 2.5%. These findings suggest that more people may benefit from genetic testing and skin cancer screening. If you might be at risk, talk to your healthcare provider.
Goldstein, et al. JAMA Dermatol. 2026:e261305. PMID: 42201696. Article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42201696/. Social media post: https://inheritedcancer.net/post92926/