Does skin cancer run in families?

Cancer is one of the most life threatening health problems. One of the causes is genetic or hereditary factors. Yes, when someone in the family has cancer, you may be at greater risk of developing the same cancer. However, does this also apply to melanoma skin cancer? Here's the explanation.

Overview of melanoma skin cancer

Cancer occurs when normal cells in the body develop abnormally and out of control. Well, this can also happen to skin cells.

Melanoma is a type of skin cancer that occurs when melanocyte cells (pigment-producing cells) grow abnormally into cancer. It is characterized by the sudden appearance of a cancerous mole, usually brown or darker than the surrounding skin color.

Although it is quite rare, melanoma skin cancer can spread more quickly and cause serious problems in other organs of the body. In both women and men, melanoma mostly appears on the neck, face, chest, back, and even in the eyes (ocular melanoma).

The main cause of the appearance of melanoma is excessive sun exposure to the skin. However, this is also determined by each person's skin type. The risk factor for melanoma skin cancer will increase in people who are white and have light-colored hair. This is why skin cancer is more common in white descendants (Caucasian race).

So, can melanoma skin cancer run in families?

Reporting from Verywell, experts are still investigating the effect of genes from the family on the incidence of melanoma. So far, they revealed that genetic factors only accounted for one percent of all cases of melanoma.

There are three genes that are known to be associated with melanoma skin cancer, including the following:

• CDKN2A: The CDKN2A gene is the most common cause of inherited melanoma skin cancer in families. This gene causes the syndrome familial atypical mole-melanoma (FAM-M) or hereditary melanoma cancer. However, not all cases of melanoma are caused by mutations in the CDKN2A gene.
• MC1R: A number of studies have proven that the MC1R gene (melanocortin-1 recepto r) can increase the risk of melanoma. This gene causes a person to have red hair, light-colored skin, and skin that is sensitive to ultraviolet (UV) radiation.
• MDM2: The MDM2 gene serves to determine how much cell division is due to cancer. The MDM2 gene mutation is more common in women with melanoma skin cancer aged 50 years and under. In fact, this one gene mutation is more likely to develop melanoma than sun exposure.

So, it can be concluded that melanoma can be caused by heredity with the gene that causes melanoma. This of course cannot be prevented in any way, except with treatment as soon as possible.

Do you need a genetic test to determine the risk of melanoma cancer?

After knowing that a family member has melanoma, you certainly don't want to get the same disease and immediately seek prevention efforts. For starters, you may be wondering if you need genetic testing or not.

Genetic tests are used to find out how much genetic changes in the body can increase the risk of certain diseases, including melanoma. Genetic testing for melanoma is highly recommended if you:

• Have three or more melanoma cancers that grow on the surface of the skin
• Has many moles that are suspicious, irregular in shape, and are dark brown or black in color
• Have two or more family members who have melanoma or pancreatic cancer

A positive genetic melanoma test result can help your doctor monitor the development of skin cancer in your body. Patients who are at high risk of developing melanoma certainly need further skin examinations to confirm the diagnosis.

However, if the test result is negative, you will not be able to feel free of melanoma. To reduce the risk of melanoma skin cancer, protect your skin from excessive sun exposure and have regular skin health checks.