Comparing mutational landscape of melanoma across racial and ethnic groups

Melanoma causes the most deaths among skin cancers, and cases have been rising in recent years. While we know some of the main genetic factors that lead to melanoma, there is limited information on how these factors might differ across racial and ethnic groups. We think that genetic changes in melanoma tumors could vary by race and ethnicity, which could impact how the cancer behaves, its severity, and how well it responds to treatment. In this study, we will look at the number and type of genetic changes in melanoma tumors from people of different racial and ethnic backgrounds, using data from the CODEai Database in partnership with the Caris Precision Oncology Alliance. Specifically, we will examine mutation rates in key genes known to be involved in melanoma, such as BRAF, NRAS, KIT, and NF1, among others. Our goal is to see if these genetic patterns affect health outcomes for people from different racial and ethnic groups. By identifying unique genetic features in melanomas of certain racial and ethnic groups, this research could lead to more personalized treatments. Combined with efforts to address barriers to treatment and other social factors, this may help reduce racial and ethnic disparities in melanoma care and improve survival for all melanoma patients.