The accumulation of oncogenic events in addition to an initiating event leads to melanoma. Telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) is the enzymatic subunit of telomerase, and elevated telomerase activity prevents critical telomere shortening with cell division and bypasses replicative senescence. First identified in 2012 in familial and sporadic cutaneous melanoma, TERT promoter mutations result in a de novo E26 transformation-specific factor binding site and increased TERT expression. This study, together with {1}, showed that TERT promoter mutations are associated with worse prognosis in non-acral cutaneous melanoma and Spitzoid melanoma. This Recommendation is of an article referenced in an F1000 Faculty Review also written by Iwei Yeh.