Genetic polymorphisms may influence the vertical growth rate of melanoma

Background: Identification of new predictive markers in melanoma is of great clinical importance. This study was aimed to analyze association between selected common variants in the cancer susceptibility genes and melanoma progression at the time of diagnosis. Material and Method: The study included 243 consecutive patients with melanoma. Genotyping was performed using real-time PCR. Results: Our data revealed modest association between xeroderma pigmentosum complementation group D (XPD) codon 312 polymorphism and tumor thickness (as defined by Breslow score; XPD D312N CC: 3.00 ± 3.78mm, CT: 1.71 ± 2.48mm, TT: 2,53 ± 3,24mm, P=0.023). The CT genotype in XPD D312N polymorphism was more frequently represented in non-invasive melanomas compared to deeply penetrating tumors. None of the common SNPs in cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor 2A (CDKN2A), vitamin D receptor (VDR), melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) were associated with Breslow depth. Conclusion: These findings suggest that genetic alteration in XPD contributes to melanoma progression and may be a potential diagnostic and molecular prognostic marker.