8 August 2024
MyMelanoma is 1 of 40 studies currently recruiting participants via the Be Part of Research volunteer registry.
It is the most ambitious melanoma research project undertaken in the UK - aiming to recruit 20,000 patients to create the world’s biggest melanoma database.
Mark Middleton, Professor of Experimental Cancer Medicine at the University of Oxford and the study’s lead researcher said: “There is still much that needs to be done to improve the quality of melanoma patient care internationally.
"MyMelanoma aims to help researchers understand how to deliver that improvement as quickly as possible. It has the potential to help us find new drug treatments, as well as give us a better understanding of factors that influence relapse, genetic links to other cancers and the impact on quality of life that melanoma has.
“This trial is an important step forward in skin cancer research and we urge anyone with a history of melanoma to take part.”
While recruitment is still ongoing, more than 1 in 4 people recruited to the study so far enrolled after being invited to take part through Be Part of Research. That amounts to 475 participants out of 1,676.
“Finding the right participants for a study can be challenging. And from a patient perspective - it’s not always obvious where to find opportunities to take part. Be Part of Research bridges that gap - making it easier for researchers to recruit and for participants to find studies relevant to them.”
- Prof Mark Middleton
The MyMelanoma study is led by the University of Oxford, funded by Cancer Research UK and Melanoma Focus and delivered with the support of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).
A participant's perspective
Beatrice Buckley, a 39-year-old mum of twin boys, was invited to take part in MyMelanoma through Be Part of Research.
She was diagnosed and treated for stage 3 acral melanoma two years ago, when her children were still toddlers.
As part of the study, she answered two online questionnaires about her lifestyle, health and personal and family cancer history. This information will be linked anonymously with her NHS records.
About Be Part of Research, Beatrice said: “It’s been a really easy, seamless experience. Life is busy isn’t it? I'm not sure how else people would find out about studies that they would be eligible for.”
Find out more about which studies can use Be Part of Research and complete our study registration form to get started.
