C-kit oncogene mutations in melanomas

摘要

A method for detecting c-KIT-dependent melanoma cells in a biological sample comprising melanoma cells of a patient who has a melanoma that arose from acral or ocular skin, optionally conjunctival, or skin with chronic sun-induced damage (CSD ), the method comprising: detecting the presence or absence of a mutation in melanoma cells in the biological sample, where the mutation is: i) a sequence mutation in a c-KIT gene, or ii) an increase in the number of copies in a c-KIT gene; wherein the presence of the mutation is indicative of the presence of c-KIT-dependent melanoma cells.