Skin Melanoma Precision Prevention Program

Interested in learning more about our screening programs or partnerships? 

Please contact us at info@antegenes.com

Skin melanoma incidences are rising in many European countries and all over the world. Early discovery of the disease means that the chance of survival is high, but when detected late, the prognosis is poor.

There are currently no centrally organized population-based screening programs for melanoma in Europe. The majority of melanomas are self-discovered. For those at high melanoma risk (due to significant UV exposure, family history, hereditary risk, etc.), the recommendation is a routine full-body visual examination of the skin.

The heritability of melanoma is among the highest among cancers, with many genetic variants of small effects contributing to the disease. It is possible to summarize these risks using polygenic risk scores. Studies have indicated that among individuals with low conventional risk factors, around 9–21% belong to a high polygenic risk group. Therefore, genomic testing can identify people who are susceptible to melanoma despite their lack of a traditional phenotypic risk profile.

Antegenes has developed a polygenic risk score based genetic risk test for melanoma – AnteMEL. AnteMEL is one of the foundations for the prevention and early detection of cutaneous melanoma. The purpose of the AnteMEL test is to reduce the risk of premature mortality due to melanoma through primary and secondary prevention measures.

AnteMEL is an important component of a comprehensive program for precision prevention of skin melanoma. The precision prevention program offers genetic risk-adjusted behavioral recommendations, indications for medical geneticist consultation, and testing of single high-risk melanoma susceptibility genes.

The program is to be applied together with the AnteMEL test and is suitable for men and women between ages 18-70.