Patent ID: 8822149

Claim:
A method for predicting the prognosis of a melanoma in a patient with stage IIIB or stage IIIC cutaneous melanoma after lymphadenectomy, comprising measuring in a melanoma tumor sample from the patient, expression of the genes milk fat globule EGF factor 8 protein (MFGE8), isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (NADPH+ soluble (IDH1), paired immunoglobin-like type 2 receptor alpha (PILRA), major histocompatibility complex class 1E (HLA-E) and thioredoxin domain containing 5 (TXNDC5), and wherein expression of each of said genes from a sample from a patient is determined using qPCR to quantify mRNA expression; and calculating a score (“qPS”) according to the formula: qPS=−[ 1328.15−187.42( IDH 1)+137.10( MFGE 8)+73.61( PILRA )+211.22( HLA - E )+143.94( TXNDC 5)], where in said formula, IDH1 means ΔΔC t for isocitrate dehydrogenase 1, MFGE8 means ΔΔC t for milk fat globule EGF factor 8 protein, PILRA means ΔΔC t for paired immunoglobin-like type 2 receptor alpha, HLA-E means ΔΔC t for major histocompatibility complex, class 1E, and TXHDC5 means ΔΔC t for thioredoxin domain containing 5, wherein a qPS score of less than zero indicates poor prognosis with respect to time to progression (TTP) and overall survival and a qPS score of greater than zero indicates good prognosis with respect to time to progression (TTP) and overall survival.