Are The Europeans ahead of us in the War Against Melanoma? Jim Breitfeller

Genetics
European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer
EORTC Melanoma Group Genetics Committee
The mission of this sub-group is to develop genetics based translational research within the EORTC Melanoma group.

The sub-group has strong links with the melanoma genetics consortium GenoMEL @ www.genomel.org

Committee members

- Julia Newton Bishop, Chairman
- Veronique Bataille
- Brigitte Bressac
- Florence Demenais
- Giovanna Bianchi Scarra
- Dirk Schadendorf
- Johan Hansson
- Nelleke Gruis
- Susana Puig

Ongoing Studies

1. A Cohort Study of Patients with a positive sentinel node biopsy (SNB)

This study will commence recruitment in the early Autumn of 2006. Patients with a positive SNB will be offered participation in the cohort study in EORTC centres in France, Italy, the UK, Germany and Spain. The study is designed to
• Identify the histological, environmental, and genetic predictors of relapse in patients with a positive SNB so that a risk algorithm can be developed
• Increase our understanding of the biology of metastasis in melanoma patients and the genetic and environmental modifiers of that process
• Identify gene expression profiles in the primary tumour which are predictive of relapse in SNB positive patients

Participating patients will be asked to complete a questionnaire, give a blood sample from which DNA can be extracted and allow their paraffin embedded tumour tissue to be used for immunohistochemical, genetic and gene expression studies.

2. A study of inherited variation in immune response genes as modifiers of outcome in melanoma patients

Melanoma is an immunogenic tumour and it is postulated that there is inherited variation in the host’s response to the tumour, moderated by inheritance of polymorphisms in genes such as cytokine genes and the vitamin D receptor gene. Melanoma patients participating in EORTC adjuvant therapeutic trials will be asked to participate in these translational genetic studies. Consenting patients will be asked to complete a one page questionnaire based upon family history and previous medical history and to give a blood sample from which DNA can be extracted. DNA will be extracted and stored at Leiden University Medical Center, and analysed in the CR-UK Genetic Epidemiology Laboratory in Leeds and other GenoMEL laboratories. A candidate gene approach will be taken to the identification of genes hypothesized to modulate the host response to the tumour via immune processes or angiogenesis.

http://www.melanomagroup.eu/content/view/45/53/
EORTC Melanoma Group Genetics Committee


Jimmy B