**1. Introduction**

The skin is not only a target organ for sex hormones [1] but also an endocrine organ. The skin produces sex hormones, viz., androgens, estrogen, and progestins, which function locally [2, 3]. Weak androgens such as dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), DHEA sulfate (DHEAS), and androstenedione are converted to more potent testosterone and 5-α-dihydrotestosterone in the skin [4]. In addition, the skin has all the elements of neuroendocrine axis with the expression of corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH), pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC), and associated peptides ACTH, α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH), β-endorphin, and corticotrophin-releasing hormone receptor-1 [5, 6]. The presence of receptor and the peptides in the same cell suggests auto-, para-, and intracrine functions of these axes. The skin has nervous and hormonal pathways not only to regulate itself but also to regulate systemic homeostasis. Imbalances in hormones affect skin texture

and cause skin diseases such as rosacea, atopic dermatitis, and psoriasis [7, 8]. Melanoma is one such fatal disorder or disease of the skin [9], which is believed to be caused by UV rays [10]. According to the Cancer Society Report, melanoma is on the rise. In 2018 alone 91,720 new cases would be diagnosed in the United States with an estimated 9000 deaths in the United States alone [11]. It has been shown that sex steroids are essential for a healthy skin. Since melanoma is a serious skin disease, the question, whether melanoma is a hormone dependent cancer or not is relevant here. Literature survey showed possible dependence of melanoma on endocrine influences [12–14]. Several in vivo and in vitro studies showed the involvement of steroids in the regulation of melanoma growth.
