Estrogen Receptor Alpha (ESR1) Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) Affect Malignant Melanoma Susceptibility and Disease Course.

The incidence of malignant melanoma in the developed world is continuously increasing. We conducted a case-control study in order to evaluate the association between each of the four estrogen receptor alpha polymorphisms (ESR1 single-nucleotide polymorphisms [SNPs] +2464C/T, -4576A/C, +1619A/G, and +6362C/T) and malignant melanoma susceptibility and disease course. The study population consisted of 205 Caucasian patients who were diagnosed as having malignant melanoma and 208 healthy Caucasian controls. Through DNA genotyping, we identified a SNP-dependent malignant melanoma susceptibility as well as a SNP-dependent effect on the course of disease and response to therapy.