Fifth, we also unveil important genes with a potential role in BCC and SCC initiation and progression e.g. FAP, CDKL1, MARK3, RAB11FIP2, GAB2, SUOX and SOX6. Although some genetic variants within these genes have pleiotropic effects with pigmentation traits, the aforementioned genes have established roles in cancer cell proliferation, migration and invasion, and downregulation of apoptosis in melanoma, colorectal cancer and breast cancer45–51. Here, CDKL1 is linked to skin basal cell carcinoma.