Copy number variation in melanoma biopsy specimens

Melanoma is the least common form of skin cancer, but accounts for the most deaths. Dermatopathologists face difficult diganostic determinations with a subset of ambiguous melanoma cases. Copy number variation in melanoma can serve as an additional biomarker to distinguish melanoma from benign melanocytic lesions. Affymetrix SNP6.0 microarrays were performed according to the manufacturer's directions with gDNA isolated from FFPE melanocytic lesions and melanomas taken originally as biopsies.