rs744154

This dissertation investigated sex differences in melanoma using Connecticut Tumor Registry and Minnesota Skin Health study cohorts. Multiple SNPs in DNA repair genes (RFC1, ERCC4, ERCC5, ERCC6, PARP1, FBRSL1) and immune response genes (SMAD3, CXCL8, IFNγ, IL-17A) were associated with Breslow thickness and interacted with UV exposure to modify melanoma progression. Notably, rs4253114 (ERCC6) was the only SNP significant in both male and female sex-stratified analyses. UV exposure showed opposite effects between sexes: inversely associated with male mortality (HR 0.5-0.9 range) but not associated with female survival; skin awareness reduced Breslow thickness in females but not males.