Vermont has one of the highest incidence rates of melanoma in the country, and while there are a few theories as to why (e.g., large numbers of older people with fair skin who work and play outdoors), scientists have yet to find answers at the genomic level.  

A new study being launched by UVM Cancer Center members Melanie Bui, M.D., Ph.D. and Steven Roberts, Ph.D., hopes to change that. Drs. Bui and Roberts received an interprogram pilot award of $20,000 through the Population Sciences and Cancer Outcomes (PSCO) program to assess skin mutations in Vermont and look for signatures that may shed light on why some Vermonters develop skin cancer and how they respond to treatment. The purpose of this pilot award is to encourage collaboration across research programs. 

Titled, “UV exposure and treatment-derived mutational processes in skin of Vermonters,” their study will analyze a range of mutations in UV-exposed skin in Vermont and determine if there is a high number of unusual mutations among them. If there is, that could mean two things: 1) there’s something unique about carcinogens in Vermont; or 2) Vermonters carry alterations in how their cells fix and copy DNA, which leads to more mutations when their DNA gets damaged.  

The new study leverages the expertise of Dr. Bui—a dermatologist and PSCO member—and Dr. Roberts—an expert on mutation signatures and a member of the Cancer Cell program. Dr. Bui will collect skin samples obtained from Vermonter’s suffering from the skin cancers she treats. She will also collect skin samples from volunteers with welding exposure, which produces dangerous UV rays that might cause unusual types of DNA damage. Dr. Roberts will then analyze these samples in his lab to determine whether specific signatures are linked to a specific exposure.