promotes melanoma tumor progression when overly expressed. TABLE 2. Various genes altered by general mutations or amplification in malignant melanoma Many genes are altered genetically and epigenetically in cancers, which is one of the reasons cancer is so hard to combat. INK4A and PTEN are two genes that are in both Tables 1 and 2 above, as they are both epigenetically and genetically mutated in melanoma cases. This is not uncommon, as cells need multiple changes to the genome to initiate a change as large as cancer. The epigenetic side of cancer research is growing and uncovering many overlaps like in the cases of INK4A and PTEN, giving a larger, more accurate image of cancer and melanoma. The complexity and variability of cancer epigenetics makes this a growing and important field. Since epigenetic modifications are able to be reversed, this makes them a target for therapeutics and part of the future of cancer combat, and specifically melanoma, due to its deadliness and difficulty to catch. The genes listed above are only the beginning of a long list of available treatment areas that could potentially reverse or prevent melanoma if detected early. References Sources Penna, Elisa et al. 2011. “MicroRNA-214 contributes to melanoma tumour progression through suppression of TFAP2C.” The EMBO Journal, Vol. 30, No. 10. Segura, Miguel et al. 2009. “Aberrant miR-182 expression promotes melanoma metastasis by repressing FOXO3 and microphthalmia-associated transcription factor.” The CrossMark Journal, Vol. 106, No. 6. Liu, Shujing et al. 2012. "Loss of microRNA-205 Expression is associated with Melanoma Progression." Laboratory investigation, Vol. 92, No. 1084-1096. Patino, Willmar D., and Joseph Susa. "Epigenetics of Cutaneous Melanoma."Advances in Dermatology 24 (2008): 59-70. Print. Saha, K., Hornyak, T. J., Eckert, R. L. 2013. “Epigenetic Cancer Prevention Mechanisms in Skin Cancer”. The AAPS Journal, Vol. 15, No. 4. Dahl C, Guldberg P. 2007. “The genome and epigenome of malignant melanoma”. APMIS, vol. 115:1161– 1176. Also referenced for Tables 1 and 2 Wan, P.T., Garnett, M.J., Roe, S.M., Lee, S., Niculescu- Duvaz, D., Good, V.M., et al. 2004. “Mechanism of activation of the RAF-ERK signaling pathway by oncogenic mutations of B-RAF”. Cell, vol. 116: 855–67. Sumimoto, H., Miyagishi, M., Miyoshi, H., Yamaga- ta, S., Shimizu, A., Taira, K., et al. 2004. “Inhibition of growth and invasive ability of melanoma by inactivation of mutated BRAF with lentivirus-mediated RNA interference”. Oncogene, Vol 23:6031–9. Eskandarpour, M., Kiaii, S., Zhu, C., Castro, J., Sakko,