A trial looking at a new way for family doctors to check moles to see if they need to be seen by a specialist (The MoleMate UK Trial)

Please note this trial is no longer recruiting patients.

This trial is looking to see if a new type of scanner can help family doctors (GPs) decide more easily which moles might be the skin cancer melanoma.

If you are worried about a mole on your body, you should have it checked by your family doctor (GP). Your GP may decide that you should see a skin specialist. But it may not be that clear a decision. It can be very difficult for GPs to decide who may have a suspected cancer. If they referred everyone who came to see them to a specialist immediately, the system would get jammed and those needing urgent appointments wouldn't be able to get them.

This trial is looking at a system called ‘MoleMate’ that can help GPs detect melanoma more easily. Using this system may mean that you won’t need to see a skin specialist unnecessarily for a second opinion. Or it could mean that you start treatment for melanoma even sooner if it shows your GP that you need an urgent referral.

The MoleMate system is a hand held scanner, linked to a computer. It scans features in moles and takes pictures. The computer asks the nurse or doctor questions about these pictures. It then advises whether or not you should see a skin specialist. The aim of this trial is to see if this system can help GPs to make suspected melanoma referrals to skin specialists more accurately.

Recruitment

Start 01/03/2008

End 30/06/2010

Phase

Other

Who can enter

You can enter this trial if you

Have a mole which your doctor thinks may be cancerous
Are registered with a GP practice taking part in this trial
Are well enough to take part
Are at least 18 years of age

Trial design

This trial will recruit around 2,000 patients seen at 15 GP practices around Cambridge. This is a randomised trial. You will be put into one of 2 groups. The people taking part are put into treatment groups by a computer. Neither you nor your doctor will be able to decide which group you are in.

Everyone with a suspicious mole will be referred to their GPs mole clinic for further examination. Your mole will be checked in one of 2 ways, depending on the group you are in.

If you are in group 1, the doctor or nurse running the clinic (the ‘lead clinician’) will examine your mole twice. First, they will look at your mole by eye and use the standard melanoma checklist, as they would if you were not in the trial. Then they will examine your mole using the MoleMate system. If you are in group 2, they will examine your mole once only, using the standard melanoma checklist. Everyone taking part in the trial will also have a digital photograph taken of their mole.

Your examination may show that your mole is not cancerous. But if the lead clinician would like a second opinion, they will refer you to a skin specialist at Addenbrooke’s Hospital. Or they may simply ask you to return to the mole clinic in 3 to 6 months time. If you return to the mole clinic, they will take another photo of your mole. Again, if necessary, the lead clinician will refer you to Addenbrooke’s Hospital.

You will also be asked to complete 2 short questionnaires asking about your experience at the mole clinic. You will complete the first questionnaire soon after your appointment with the lead clinician, and the second one after about 3 months. You will be asked to return both questionnaires to the study team by post.

The research team would also like to check national cancer records for 5 years. This is so they can see if anyone taking part in the trial went on to develop melanoma.

Hospital visits

To take part in the trial your GP will ask you to make an extra visit to your surgery to see the lead clinician. If you are not referred to a specialist at the hospital, you will be asked to see the lead clinician again after 3-6 months for a follow up appointment.