Medicine
Role of TERT promoter mutations in melanoma prognosis
Quick fact
Around 70% of melanomas harbor mutations in the TERT gene promoter, and these mutations are directly linked to worse overall survival, making them one of the most common and clinically significant genetic alterations in this cancer.
Why this is interesting
You’ve likely heard that sun exposure causes melanoma. But what if a single genetic switch—flipped on by the sun—could determine how aggressive that cancer becomes?