The Effect of the Microbiome on Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Response in Melanoma Patients
Clinical Stage IV Cutaneous Melanoma AJCC v8Pathologic Stage IV Cutaneous Melanoma AJCC v8This pilot trial studies the effect of the microbiome on immune checkpoint inhibitors response in patients with melanoma by collecting stool and blood samples. Gut microbiome plays a critical role in response to immune checkpoint inhibitors. Studying the change in an individual's microbiome due to corticosteroid use may help researchers to determine whether an individual's microbiome can predict their response and toxicity to immune checkpoint inhibitors.
App Teaches Doctors to Diagnose Skin Cancer
Melanoma (Skin)CarcinomaThis study aimed to examine if self-paced learning with a novel digital patient-case-based educational platform can increase primary care physicians' diagnostic accuracy of malignant and benign skin lesions on both the level of benign/malignant and the diagnosis level. Secondarily the study aimed to investigate the time spent in reaching this change in proficiency.
Experience of Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer (NMSC) Mohs Surgery Project
Non-Melanoma Skin CancerMohs surgery excises non-melanoma skin cancer tumors of the head and neck while preserving maximum healthy tissue, an advantageous characteristic when dealing with the cosmetic and functional cervifacial region. Yet, treatment can result in changes to function and appearance with effects on quality of life. This project uses Grounded Theory to explore the Mohs surgery experience of NMSC patients who have head and neck lesions through interview and observation of the surgical appointment.
Evaluation of Adherence to Topical Agents: Applying Communication Technology to Improve Sunscreen...
Skin CancerThe purpose of this study is to determine if using an electronic reminder improves adherence to sunscreen use. The specific study aims are as follows: To determine whether the use of electronic reminder system increases adherence to topical agents. To assess technological feasibility of measuring adherence to topical agents using electronic monitors specially designed for tubes. To assess technological feasibility of providing electronic reminders using cellular phone text-messaging system. To obtain subjects' feedback on the adherence monitoring and reminder system.
Preoperative Acetaminophen and Carbohydrate Loading
Non-melanoma Skin CancerThe study's goal is to assess impact of preoperative acetaminophen and oral carbohydrate drinks on pain and functional status experienced by patients undergoing Mohs micrographic surgery for non-melanoma skin cancers. Patients are randomly assigned to receive standard of care or preoperative acetaminophen 1000 mg and Gatorade sports drinks 2 packets before surgery. Patients are then asked to rate their level of pain, anxiety, thirst, hunger, fatigue on a scale of 0-100 on day of surgery before surgery has started, after clearance of skin cancer, and at the end of the visit. Patients are contacted by phone 48 hours after their surgery to assess their maximum level of post-operative pain (rated from 0-100), usage of over the counter or prescribed pain medications, and presence of complications e.g. bleeding, infection, dehiscence. Differences in perioperative functional status and pain medication usage are compared between patients in control and intervention groups.
Nurses' Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (Dermatological Component)
Skin CancerMelanoma5 moreTo determine the relationships of dietary factors with the subsequent risk of dermatological diseases (such as skin cancers and inflammatory or autoimmune dermatoses) in a cohort of female registered nurses and male health professionals.
Expression Levels of RISC and Microprocessor Complex Components in Epithelial Skin Cancer
Skin CancerMicroRNAs (miRNAs) are very small endogenous RNA molecules about 22-25 nucleotides in length, capable of post-transcriptional gene regulation. miRNAs bind to their target messenger RNAs (mRNAs), leading to cleavage or suppression of target mRNA translation based on the degree of complementarity. miRNAs have recently been shown to play pivotal roles in diverse developmental and cellular processes and linked to a variety of skin diseases and cancers. In the present study, the investigators examines the expression profiles of the microprocessor complex subunit DGCR8 and the RISC components TARBP1, TARBP2, argonaute-1, argonaute-2 and PACT in epithelial skin cancer and its premalignant stage.
Skin Cancer Screening Education Study
Skin TumorsMelanoma2 moreThe overall aim of this population-based screening study is to assess whether the skin cancer screening training of family physicians and dermatologists leads to improved screening outcomes. The training course aims to increase the accuracy of detecting early stages of skin cancer. Screening outcomes of an intervention region (Calgary, Canada) in which physicians receive training will be compared with screening outcomes of a control region (Edmonton, Canada) where no physician training is administered. The investigators will determine whether: clinical screening outcomes are more favorable in the group of trained physicians compared to non trained physicians there is an increase of knowledge about skin cancer screening among trained physicians, compared to non trained physicians skin cancer screenings are associated with psycho-social harms population-based screening has an effect on the overall incidence and stage-specific-incidence of skin cancer in Alberta The investigators are aiming to recruit 100 physicians per region (total of 200 physicians) who will screen 40,000 to 80,000 individuals over a period of 20 months.
Melanoma Detection by Oblique-Incidence Optical Spectroscopy
Skin CancerPrimary Objectives: To establish a statistically significant database: With Spectroscopic Oblique-Incidence Reflectometry (OIR) experimental system, we will obtain OIR spatio-spectral images of 1,000 human skin non-melanocytic and melanocytic lesions that, based on clinical diagnosis, are routinely biopsied and submitted for histopathologic diagnosis and of the adjacent normal skin for self-referencing. The experimental database will contain demographic information, clinical diagnoses, clinical images, OIR images, histopathologic diagnoses, and morphometric data on the lesions. To develop and validate a diagnostic algorithm: Classification: A subset (~50%) of OIR images collected will be used to complete the development of state-of-the-art image processing algorithms to extract robustly effective diagnostic features. Blind Testing and Evaluation: The algorithms established will be evaluated and validated in a prospective blind-test fashion using the complementary subset of the database that was not involved in designing the classifier. The sensitivity and specificity of the classification system will be evaluated based on the receiver-operating-characteristic (ROC) curve. To identify the pathophysiologic parameters responsible for the diagnostic optical features: The anatomic and physiologic sources of the diagnostic optical signatures will be identified by comparative analyses using the OIR images, microscopic histomorphometric techniques and theoretical modeling to test the following hypotheses: The calculated differences in hemoglobin oxygen saturation. Comparisons of the calculated size distributions of skin scattering centers with histologic and morphometric analyses of various cellular and tissue components of the skin lesions. The relative densities and distributions of the different anatomic and physiologic diagnostic features within the interrogation volumes are important diagnostic factors in OIR.
Study to Determine if Tissue Scored With a Scalpel Results in Any Noticeable Marks
Skin CancerMohs Micrographic Surgery is a well established method for treatment of cutaneous malignancies. Part of this technique requires marking skin surrounding the tumor. There are two ways of marking the tissue, lightly scoring it with a scalpel or marking it with a surgical marker. This study is to determine if there is a noticeable difference in outcome between patients who have their tissue lightly scored with a scalpel or marked with a surgical marking pen.