The Immunogenetics of Melanoma

Melanoma is a relatively common and deadly type of skin cancer that originates from melanocytes. Cutaneous malignant melanoma results from the interplay between genetic susceptibility and environmental factors. Though the majority of melanoma cases are sporadic, several high and low penetrance mutations have been identified as underlying factors of heritable melanoma. Genetic variations in immune system components are among the most studied factors in melanoma heritability. They are involved in several aspects of the pathogenesis of the tumor including predisposition, cell proliferation, and apoptosis as well as immunotherapy. In this chapter, the hitherto available immunogenetic-related reports on melanoma predisposition and progression are summed up.