CDKN2A and melanoma: It is not clear how many other cancer types show such high total frequencies of somatic p16 alteration; but even if the specific relation between p16 and melanoma is restricted to germline mutations, it is interesting that there is evidence for the p16-dependent form of senescence in human melanocytes, even in a rich culture medium and with feeder cells (Bennett and Medrano, 2002; Sviderskaya et al, 2003).