Melanoma in Patients with GATA2 Deficiency

Summary

GATA2 deficiency is a recently described genetic disorder affecting hematopoietic stem cells and is associated with immunodeficiency, cutaneous findings, and hematologic malignancy. The risk of non-hematologic malignancies is unclear. To explore the incidence and clinical course of melanoma in GATA2 deficient patients we conducted a retrospective chart review of 71 patients with GATA2 deficiency. We identified two patients with melanoma, including an invasive melanoma presenting as a graft-versus-tumor effect following bone marrow transplantation. Our observations and published studies of melanoma biology suggest an association between decreased GATA2 expression and melanoma progression. These findings suggest that GATA2 deficient patients may have an increased risk of melanoma and should be observed closely for new or changing skin lesions.

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