Adults with skin cancer: exploring personal experiences (V2)

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Living with skin cancer: exploring the psychosocial experiences of adults with primary malignant melanoma

• IRAS ID

  197339

• Contact name

  Sylvie Marshall-Lucette

• Contact email

  S.Marshall-Lucette@sgul.kingston.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  St. George's University of London and St. George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

• Duration of Study in the UK

  0 years, 6 months, 5 days

• Research summary

  The research questions being addressed here is: What are the psychosocial experiences of adults with skin cancer, medically known as "primary malignant melanoma"? "How does it affect them?" Although there is evidence of a large number of people who are currently living with primary malignant melanoma, little is known about the manner in which these patients are coping with the condition both psychologically and socially. Thus findings from this proposed study seeks to gain an informed insight into what Healthcare professionals can do to support these patients through their cancer journeys.The focus will be to find out how skin cancer has affected the patients individually, from their psychological & social perspectives and to determine whether healthcare professionals are providing the appropriate level of support to this group of patients.

  There were about 14,509 new cases of melanoma in 2013 and about 40 new cases daily. According to Skin Cancer Statistics from Cancer Research UK, "Around a third (33%) of all cases of malignant melanoma occur in people aged under 55.
  A quarter (25%) of cases of malignant melanoma are diagnosed in people aged 75 and over"
  More than two young adults (aged 15-34) are diagnosed with malignant melanoma every day in the UK

  The study is expected to last for 6 months will be conducted at a metropolitan NHS Hospital Trust. Ten participants between the age of 20 and 80, who were diagnosed at least 6 months prior to the study, will be selected and invited for a one to one interview, which will be tape-recorded and transcribed word for word for analysis. Subsequently, the findings will potentially provide recommendations for clinical practice.

  The patients will have already completed their treatments and just being followed up.

• REC name

  London - Westminster Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  16/LO/0711

• Date of REC Opinion

  19 Jul 2016

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion