ArticleJournal of cancer survivorship : research and practice2025
Employing skin self-examination and fear of cancer recurrence management in early-stage melanoma follow-up: evaluation of the MELACARE intervention in a randomised controlled trial.
Article in Journal of cancer survivorship : research and practice, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT05253872 (The MELAcare Study), which is not on this map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
The MELAcare Study: a Randomized Controlled Trial of a New Method for Surveillance of Melanoma Patients
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Survivorship care for melanoma patients: a scoping review.Journal of cancer survivorship : research and practice · 2026Review
- Identification of Sub-Groups of Patients Surgically Treated for Melanoma With Affected Health-Related Quality of Life and Psychosocial Well-Being.Journal of surgical oncology · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
Abstract
purposeThe MELACARE intervention aimed to evaluate a nurse-led follow-up program incorporating skin self-examination (SSE) education and psychosocial support to address fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) in early-stage melanoma survivors. This study assessed the MELACARE intervention's impact on FCR, psychological well-being, SSE performance, and healthcare usage compared to standard physician-led follow-up.
methodsA two-group randomised controlled trial was conducted at Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, Denmark. Participants included 153 patients with surgically treated melanoma (stages IA-IIA). Patients were randomised to either the MELACARE intervention (n = 78) or a control group provided treatment as usual (n = 75). The intervention involved nurse-led sessions focusing on SSE techniques and metacognitive strategies. Outcomes included FCR (primary), distress, anxiety, depression, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), patient activation, and SSE frequency and confidence (secondary) at 6 months.
trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05253872).
resultsAt 6 months, the mean of the primary outcome FCR was lower in the intervention compared to the control groups, but the difference was not statistically significant (- 0.86 [- 3.34;1.62]). Intervention patients reported higher HRQoL (18% [3;32]) and patient activation (0.43 [0.15;0.71]) as the only significant secondary outcomes. Confidence in SSE was higher in the intervention group, with most performing SSE at recommended intervals.
conclusionsThe MELACARE intervention may improve HRQoL and patient activation but did not reduce FCR. High fidelity of delivery and patient adherence highlight its potential utility. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: The MELACARE approach empowers melanoma survivors through structured SSE education and psychosocial support. Future analyses will investigate long-term safety and efficacy.
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Identifiers
40504479What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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