Gene expression profiling in melanoma: A view from the clinic

Abstract

The treatment of Melanoma, one of the most aggressive human malignancies, has been revolutionised by the advent of novel targeted and immuno-therapies. However, methods utilised to detect early presentations, and to stratify risk for patients diagnosed with invasive melanoma in the clinical setting are lagging. The primary prognostic indicator is restricted to Breslow Thickness, or depth the tumour invades into the dermis. Gene Expression Profiling (GEP), the analysis of molecular gene signatures of an individual tumour, has been implemented with great success in other malignancies, such as breast and prostate cancer. In the setting of melanoma, commercial GEP panels are becoming available, offering patients a personalised approach, though yet to enter widespread clinical use. This short perspective seeks to describe how GEP is currently employed in practice, and its current clinical impact. We also suggest the potential roles for GEP in meeting the key clinical challenges faced by clinicians in melanoma treatment, such as decisions around adjuvant therapy, sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) and surgical resection , thus highlighting areas for future potential research.

Keywords: Gene expression; Melanoma; Personalised treatment; Skin cancer.