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ObservationalCancer medicine · 2026

Evolutionary Origin of Ocular Melanoma: Associations With rs12913832 G Allele Frequency and Latitude.

Hans Witzenhausen, Hildur Helgadottir, Veronica Höiom … Gustav Stålhammar

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OphthalmologyObservational

Blue-eye gene variant frequency across countries linked to ocular melanoma rates

Evolutionary Origin of Ocular Melanoma: Associations With rs12913832 G Allele Frequency and Latitude.

Hans Witzenhausen … Gustav Stålhammar

Cancer medicine · 2026

Background

Ocular melanoma (ocular melanoma) incidence varies worldwide, but the relative impact of geographic latitude versus pigmentation genetics remains debated.

Purpose

We investigated whether the country-level frequency of the rs12913832 derived (G) blue-eye allele (G allele frequency), or latitude better explains international differences in ocular melanoma incidence.

Methods

We conducted correlation, linear regression, and mediation analyses to assess the associations among latitude, G allele frequency, and ocular melanoma incidence.

n = 29 countries

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Results

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times

blue-eye gene frequency explains far more of the melanoma-rate difference than latitude does

n = 29 countries

More results

In univariate analyses, both latitude and the G allele frequency were positively associated with ocular melanoma incidence.

Mediation analysis indicated that about 92% of latitude's effect on incidence was mediated through G allele frequency.

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Conclusion · 1 of 2

At the population level, the G allele frequency is a markedly stronger predictor of ocular melanoma incidence than geographic latitude.

Conclusion · 2 of 2

As an ecological analysis, this study identifies a population-level association rather than individual-level genetic risk and suggests that pigmentation genetics underlie much of the international variation in ocular melanoma incidence.

Post

Evolutionary Origin of Ocular Melanoma: Associations With rs12913832 G Allele Frequency and Latitude.

Blue-eye gene variant frequency across countries linked to ocular melanoma rates

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