High prevalence of the G101W germline mutation in the CDKN2A (P16(ink4a)) gene in 62 Italian malignant melanoma families.

CDKN2A germline mutation frequency estimates are commonly based on families with several melanoma cases. When we started counseling in a research setting on gene susceptibility analysis in northern and central Italy, however, we mostly found small families with few cases. Here we briefly characterize those kindred, estimate CDKN2A/CDK4 mutation test yields, and provide indications on the possibility of implementing formal DNA testing for melanoma-prone families in Italy. In September 1995 we started genetic counseling in a research setting at our Medical Genetics Center. Screening for CDKN2A/CDK4 mutations was performed on families with two melanoma patients, one of whom was younger than 50 years at onset, the other complying with one of the following: 1) being a first-degree relative, 2) having an additional relative with pancreatic cancer, or 3) having multiple primary melanomas. Sixty-two of 67 (80%) melanoma cases met our criteria. Four previously described CDKN2A mutations (G101W, R24P, V126D, and N71S) were found in 21 of the 62 families (34%) with a high prevalence of G101W (18/21). The percentage of families with two melanoma cases/family harboring a mutation was low (7%, 2/27), but rose to 45% (9/20) if one of the melanoma patients carried multiple melanomas or if pancreatic cancer was present in that family. In the 15 families with three melanoma cases the presence of a mutation was higher (67%, 10/15) and reached 100% in the 4 families with four or more melanoma cases. Our results suggest that CDKN2A/CDK4 counseling-based mutational analysis may be reasonably efficient also for families with two melanoma cases, if one patient carries multiple melanomas or if pancreatic cancer is present in the family. Copyright 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.