The MoleMate™ UK Trial: The management of suspicious pigmented lesions in primary care

ISRCTN ISRCTN79932379
DOI https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN79932379
Secondary identifying numbers N/A
Submission date
20/12/2007
Registration date
14/02/2008
Last edited
26/10/2022
Recruitment status
No longer recruiting
Overall study status
Completed
Condition category
Skin and Connective Tissue Diseases
Prospectively registered
Protocol
Statistical analysis plan
Results
Individual participant data

Plain English summary of protocol

https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/find-a-clinical-trial/a-trial-looking-at-a-new-way-for-family-doctors-to-check-moles-to-see-if-they-need-to-be-seen-by-a-specialist

Study website

Contact information

Dr Fiona Walter
Scientific

General Practice and Primary Care Research Unit
Institute of Public Health
University Forvie Site
Cambridge
CB2 0SR
United Kingdom

Study information

Study designMulti-centre randomised controlled trial
Primary study designInterventional
Secondary study designRandomised controlled trial
Study setting(s)GP practice
Study typeDiagnostic
Participant information sheet Participant information sheet: http://www.medschl.cam.ac.uk/gppcru/Projects/MoleMate/downloads.htm
Scientific titleThe MoleMate™ UK Trial: The management of suspicious pigmented lesions in primary care
Study objectivesSuspicious pigmented lesions are a common presenting problem in general practice consultations, and while the majority are benign, a small minority are malignant melanomas. Over the last twenty-five years, the incidence of melanoma has increased more than for any other major cancer in the UK, to 8,000 new cases and 1,800 deaths annually. Studies suggest that general practitioners (GPs) are poor at differentiating melanomas from other pigmented lesions, and training GPs in melanoma diagnosis appears to have little significant effect on their performance. Alternative approaches are therefore required to increase the precision of assessment of pigmented skin lesions in primary care.

The MoleMate™ UK Trial, set in UK general practice, aims to test the hypothesis that the use of the MoleMate system will improve the effectiveness of management of suspicious pigmented lesions in primary care.

Please note that as of 04/01/10 the sources of funding for this trial have been updated. Biocompatibles UK Ltd will supply the MoleMate systems for the trial, in place of Astron Clinica.
Ethics approval(s)Approval received from the Cambridgeshire 2 Research Ethics Committee on the 26th October 2007. REC Reference Number: 07/H0308/167
Health condition(s) or problem(s) studiedPigmented lesions/ diagnosis of melanoma
InterventionThe study aims to recruit 1,800 participants from 15 general practices (intervention group 900; control group 900) over a trial period of 16 months per practice.

Patients who are eligible and agree to participate will be randomised to either the control group, where the lesion will be assessed by eye according to current 'best practice', or the intervention group, where the lesion will be assessed by eye according to current 'best practice' followed by an assessment of the lesion using the MoleMate system. A clinical decision will then be made and the participant either reassured or referred to dermatology.

All participants will be asked to complete an exit questionnaire within one week of their appointment and a follow-up questionnaire after 3 months.
Intervention typeOther
Primary outcome measureThe proportion of referred pigmented lesions that are monitored or biopsied from the intervention group compared with the proportion of referred pigmented lesions that are monitored or biopsied from the control group. This will reflect the extent to which use of the MoleMate system in primary care increases the diagnostic accuracy and appropriateness of referrals to secondary care.
Secondary outcome measures1. Assessment of participant satisfaction and anxiety at one week and three months after the consultation in general practice
2. Comparison of the diagnostic performance of clinicians with the MoleMate system and without
3. Assessment of clinician learning when using the MoleMate system
4. Assessment of clinician confidence in the MoleMate system
5. Examination of the association between the 'Index of Suspicion' scale and the seven-point checklist, and their predictiveness of lesion outcomes
6. Economic analysis of using the MoleMate system in primary care
7. Creation of a cohort of participants from the trial who will have melanoma-specific diagnosis and mortality over 5-years survival outcomes assessed
Overall study start date01/01/2008
Completion date30/06/2010

Eligibility

Participant type(s)Patient
Age groupAdult
Lower age limit18 Years
SexBoth
Target number of participants1,800 participants from 15 general practices
Total final enrolment1297
Key inclusion criteria1. 18 years or over
2. Attending a GP or practice nurse appointment at a study general practice
3. The patient or practitioner describes a pigmented lesion, although the lesion need not be the presenting symptom
Key exclusion criteria1. Patients with a pigmented lesion which is immediately diagnosed as benign and the patient reassured
2. Patients who do not give their consent or are not able to understand the consent process
3. Patients felt unsuitable by their GP due to other on-going physical or psychological conditions such as cognitive impairment, serious illness
Date of first enrolment01/01/2008
Date of final enrolment30/06/2010

Locations

Countries of recruitment

  • England
  • United Kingdom

Study participating centre

General Practice and Primary Care Research Unit
Cambridge
CB2 0SR
United Kingdom

Sponsor information

University of Cambridge and Cambridgeshire NHS Primary Care Trust (UK)
Hospital/treatment centre

Research Services Division
University of Cambridge
16 Mill Lane
Cambridge
CB2 1SB
England
United Kingdom

Website http://www.rsd.cam.ac.uk/
ROR logo "ROR" https://ror.org/013meh722

Funders

Funder type

Government

The NHS National Institute for Health Research (NIHR): School for Primary Care Research (main funder) (UK)

No information available

Biocompatibles UK Limited have supplied the MoleMate systems for the trial.

No information available

Cambridge R & D Consortium - Cambridgeshire Primary Care Trust transitional funding is providing service support for the additional consultations in general practices (UK)

No information available

Results and Publications

Intention to publish date
Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to shareNo
IPD sharing plan summaryNot provided at time of registration
Publication and dissemination planNot provided at time of registration
IPD sharing planNot provided at time of registration

Study outputs

Output type Details Date created Date added Peer reviewed? Patient-facing?
Protocol article protocol 11/05/2010 Yes No
Results article results 31/08/2010 Yes No
Results article results 04/07/2012 Yes No
Plain English results 26/10/2022 No Yes

Editorial Notes

25/10/2022: Cancer Research UK plain English results link and total final enrolment added.