Reducing Skin Cancer Risk in Childhood Cancer Survivors

President and Fellows of Harvard College

Status: Completed

Conditions: Skin Neoplasms

Treatments: Behavioral: PAE plus physician activation (PAE + MD); Behavioral: Patient activation and education (PAE); Behavioral: PAE physician activation, plus teledermoscopy (PAE +MD +TD)

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT02046811

1R01CA175231

R01CA175231 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Details and patient eligibility

About

The objective of this study is to determine the impact of a 12-month patient activation and education intervention on skin cancer early detection practices among childhood cancer survivors treated with radiation. This randomized controlled trial uses a three-group design.

Our specific aims are to: (1) Determine the impact of a Patient Activation and Education intervention with and without physician activation and teledermatology on skin cancer early detection practices, (2) Determine the impact of the intervention on time to diagnosis, and (3) Estimate the cost and cost-effectiveness of the intervention as a secondary outcome.

Full description

There are currently more than 420,000 Americans who are long-term survivors of childhood and adolescent cancer. While these groups have greatly benefited from recent medical advances, primarily increasing overall survival rates, treatment advances have come at a cost. It is now clear that childhood radiation therapy has caused survivors to be at extremely high risk for non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) and increased risk of melanoma. Early detection is crucial to reduce the morbidity caused by NMSCs and the morbidity and mortality incurred due to melanoma. Both patient and provider action are needed to detect and treat early skin cancers and to find new solutions to ensure expedited follow-up care and treatment, especially among those who live where they have little access to dermatologists.

The objective of this study is to determine the impact of a 12-month patient activation and education intervention on skin cancer early detection practices among childhood cancer survivors treated with radiation. All participants will receive text messages encouraging them to examine their skin and request physician examinations while concurrently driving them to a study website that provides education related to the associated skills, and reinforces and expands the text messages. To reduce skin cancers among this young and dispersed patient population, this study will address several key issues: (1) how to provide patients with the skills needed to conduct effective skin self-examinations; 2) how to prompt action from patient's physicians when worrisome moles and lesions are found; and 3) how to ensure rapid access to dermatologic exams, which in some parts of the US can take weeks or months to schedule.

Enrollment: 726 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 30 to 65 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• treated with radiation for a childhood cancer
• have a regular healthcare provider whom he/she has seen in the previous 2 years, or plans to see in the next year
• have a phone that can receive text messages
• have access to a dermlite compatible smartphone or tablet

Exclusion criteria

• personal history of a skin cancer diagnosis

Trial design

Primary purpose: Screening

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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726 participants in 3 patient groups

Patient activation and education

Experimental group

Description:

Patient activation and education (PAE)

Treatment:

Behavioral: Patient activation and education (PAE)

PAE plus physician activation

Experimental group

Description:

PAE plus physician activation (PAE + MD)

Treatment:

Behavioral: PAE plus physician activation (PAE + MD)

PAE, MD, plus teledermoscopy

Experimental group

Description:

PAE physician activation, plus teledermoscopy (PAE +MD +TD)

Treatment:

Behavioral: PAE physician activation, plus teledermoscopy (PAE +MD +TD)