In our study, we identified six major up-regulated genes involved in the apoptosis module of the TWEAK pathway in thick M− melanoma, namely MAP3K14 (NIK1), BIRC2 (cIAP1), RIPK1, CASP7, CASP8, TNF, suggesting that RIPK1-FADDCaspase-8 complex-mediated apoptosis of melanoma cells may be a crucial mechanism in the prevention of metastasis in thick melanomas. Here, CASP7 is linked to melanoma.