A Study on How to Safely Guide Surgery for Melanoma and Similar Skin Tumors in Children Using Pat… (NCT07621614) | Clinical Trial Compass
Not Yet RecruitingNot Applicable
A Study on How to Safely Guide Surgery for Melanoma and Similar Skin Tumors in Children Using Pathology and Genetic Information
51 participantsStarted 2026-08-18
Plain-language summary
This clinical trial compares the effect of using risk-based stratification to guide surgical management to the usual approach in treating cutaneous melanoma, atypical Spitz/Spitzoid tumors or other atypical melanocytic tumors that have not spread to other parts of the body (localized). Melanoma is a cancer that in children is sometimes difficult to tell apart from benign (not harmful) or atypical (uncertain if harmful) skin lesions. Failure to diagnose melanoma can result in inadequate surgical removal and increase the risk of recurrence and metastatic disease (spread from where it first started to other places in the body). In addition, diagnosing a tumor a benign (not cancer) tumor as cancer may lead to unnecessary surgery and treatment. This trial reviews tumor pathology and genetic markers and classifies the tumor as not atypical, atypical but low risk for spread and/or recurrence (coming back after a period of improvement), and atypical and high risk for spread and/or recurrence. The classifications are then used to provide surgical recommendations. Tumors that are not atypical do not receive any surgical treatment. Low-risk recommendations include removing a small layer of normal skin around the tumor. High-risk recommendations include the usual adult melanoma approach of removing a larger layer of normal skin around the tumor with or without a biopsy of the sentinel lymph node (the first lymph node to which tumor cells are likely to spread from a primary tumor). Risk-based guided surgical management may help avoid unnecessary surgery while improving outcomes in younger patients with localized cutaneous melanoma, atypical Spitz/Spitzoid tumors or other atypical melanocytic tumors.
Who can participate
Age range
25 Years
Sex
ALL
See this in plain English?
AI-rewrites the medical criteria so a patient or caregiver can understand them. Always confirm with the trial site.
Inclusion Criteria:
* Patients ≤ 25 years old
* Newly diagnosed localized cutaneous melanoma, atypical Spitz/Spitzoid tumors, or other atypical melanocytic neoplasm by local institution pathology report
* Patients must have disease that is localized to the skin on clinical assessment. Note that staging imaging is not required for the determination of eligibility, but if obtained prior to enrollment, all imaging must be consistent with localized cutaneous disease
* Patients must have a performance status corresponding to Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) scores of 0, 1 or 2. Use Karnofsky for patients \> 16 years of age and Lansky for patients ≤ 16 years of age
* Patients must not have received any prior chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, radiation, or surgical therapy for melanoma other than the permitted biopsy/excision of the lesion for which they are enrolling. Note that prior biopsies/surgery for other benign melanocytic lesions is permitted
Exclusion Criteria:
* Patients ≥ 18 years old with conventional adult-type melanoma are excluded. Note that patients 18-25 years old with atypical Spitz/Spitzoid tumors, or other atypical melanocytic neoplasms are eligible
* Patients with clinical evidence of metastatic disease such as palpable malignant adenopathy or symptomatic distant metastases are not eligible
* Patients who have undergone re-excision to achieve a negative margin or sentinel lymph node biopsy for the melanocytic neoplasm under study are not…
Questions worth asking your doctor
Bring these to your next appointment. They're a starting point for a shared conversation — not a sign you qualify or a recommendation to enrol.
1Based on my diagnosis and history, is this trial worth exploring for me — or is there a standard treatment we should try first?
2What does this trial's phase tell us about how much is already known about its safety and benefit?
3What would taking part actually involve for me — visits, tests, time, and travel?
4What are the known and possible risks or side effects I should weigh, and how would they be monitored?
5If this trial isn't the right fit, what other options or trials would you suggest I look into?
Generated to help you prepare — always confirm anything about your own eligibility and care with the study team and your doctor.
Questions for the trial coordinator
The trial coordinator is the person who runs the study day to day. These cover the practical side — logistics, costs, and what taking part would actually mean for your life. The study team confirms whether you meet the criteria; these are questions to ask, not a sign you qualify.
1What does taking part actually involve week to week — how many visits, where, and how long does each one take?
2What costs are covered by the study, and what might I have to pay for myself, including travel, parking, or time off work?
3What happens during screening, and what happens if the study team confirms I don't meet the criteria after those tests?
4Who pays for the scans, blood work, and other tests the trial requires — the study, my insurance, or me?
5How will being in the trial affect my regular care, and will my own doctor stay informed and involved?
6Can I leave the trial at any point if I change my mind, and what would happen to my care if I do?
A starting point for the conversation — always confirm anything about your own eligibility, costs, and care with the study team and your doctor.