A new DNA discovery could pave the way to personalised treatment for skin cancer patients.

Scientists have found that DNA repair genes in cancer tumours help determine the success or failure of chemotherapy.

Higher levels of activity from the genes, which mend damaged strands of DNA, were associated with a poorer response to treatment.

Knowing who is most affected by the genes could help doctors tailor individual treatments at an early stage, thereby increasing patients' chances of survival.

Many anti-cancer drugs work by damaging the DNA of tumour cells. But too-efficient DNA repair genes can override this effect, allowing the cancer cells to survive and spread.

It is the first time that genes involved in DNA repair have been identified as potential markers for a patient's response to therapy.

The findings are reported in the journal Clinical Cancer Research.

Sara Hiom, director of health information at the Cancer Research UK charity, said: "Chemotherapy can be an unpleasant experience for some patients. This study shows that a genetic marker could help doctors assess whether a melanoma tumour will be resistant to chemotherapy and ensure that a patient receives a treatment that will be the most effective for them.

"The results showing the genetic link in melanoma tumours to chemotherapy were from a small sample. Scientists now need to test this finding with a larger number of melanoma tumours to see whether this genetic marker can actually be used by doctors to help treat patients."

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