The 31-gene expression profile stratifies recurrence and metastasis risk in patients with cutaneous melanoma.

Lay abstract Cutaneous melanoma is a type of skin tumor affecting 100,000 new patients each year. Even with the best tools available today, knowing which patients will die from their cancer can be challenging. Using individual tumors from over 400 patients, we analyzed the expression of 31 genes from each tumor. Doing this helped us split the patients into groups who are more or less likely to die from their tumor. By combining this technique with current medical practices and guidelines, we hope to help identify which patients may or may not benefit from more intense therapies.