Chi3l1 dysregulation is particularly striking in solid tumors with the levels of circulating Chi3l1/YKL-40 being increased in patients with cancers of the lung, prostate, colon, rectum, ovary, kidney, breast, glioblastomas and malignant melanoma where they correlate directly with disease progression and inversely with disease free interval and patient survival12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21. This evidence concerns the gene CHI3L1 and melanoma.