Participants

Participant Requirements

Currently, WAMHS participants are being recruited from Western Australian adults, aged 18 years and over, who were diagnosed with an invasive melanoma of the skin from June 2006 onwards.

All participants are recruited via the Western Australian Cancer Registry.

Participant Recruitment Process

1. Patient visits doctor and a suspicious lesion is identified.
2. Lesion is excised and sent to pathology laboratory for histological diagnosis. Notification of positive melanoma diagnosis is sent to doctor, who in turn notifies patient.
3. Western Australian Cancer Registry (WACR) is notified of positive melanoma diagnosis.
4. On behalf of the Western Australian Melanoma Health Study (WAMHS), WACR contacts doctor to establish if any reason, medical or other, that patient should not be contacted about study.
5. If suitable, patient contacted by WACR, on behalf of WAMHS, with information regarding study and consent form, which is returned to WACR.
6. WAMHS is notified of consenting patients and their details.
7. WAMHS contacts participants with Study Questionnaire Part 1 (self completion), blood collection form and information to book scar examination (depending on components of study consented to). Study Questionnaire Part 1 returned to WAMHS.
8. WAMHS contacts patient for Study Questionnaire Part 2 (telephone interview).
9. Patient has scar exam at McComb Foundation for WAMHS.
10. Patient gives blood samples at PathWest for WAMHS.