USRT Study: Skin Cancer Folloy-Up

Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer and can be caused by both ionizing radiation and ultraviolet (UV) radiation from sunlight. The U.S. Radiologic Technologists (USRT) Study provides a unique opportunity to study the independent and combined effects of these types of radiation on melanoma and other skin cancers.

More than 600 new cases of melanoma and nearly 9,000 new cases of other skin cancers were reported on the Third Survey.

USRT study participants who reported having skin cancer on the Third Survey are being contacted to obtain more information about the location of the skin cancer(s) on the body. This information is needed to help distinguish skin cancers caused by sunlight exposure from others that may be linked to occupational radiation exposure or a combined effect of both.

Completing a Skin Cancer Follow-up Form by reviewing or updating information about your skin cancer diagnoses,

Completing a Skin Cancer Map to mark the location of each skin cancer,

Completing and signing the HIPAA Authorization form to provide the name(s) of health care providers who diagnosed your skin cancer(s), and

Returning all forms in the enclosed postage-paid envelope.

The information from these forms will be used to update our records about your skin cancer(s). The HIPAA authorization will be used to contact the health care providers who diagnosed or treated your skin cancer(s), so that we can request copies of the relevant medical records to better classify the diagnoses. Even if your medical records are no longer available, the additional information provided by you on the Skin Cancer Follow-up Form and Skin Cancer Map is important to the study.

In order to distinguish between skin cancers that are caused by sunlight from those that may be related to occupational radiation exposure or combined effects, we need more information from you about your skin cancer(s); for example, the location on your body where the skin cancer occurred. We also need additional information from medical records that will allow us to better classify the skin cancers by cell type. Even if you believe your skin cancer was caused by sun exposure, your participation in this follow-up is important because the information you provide on the follow-up forms will help us accurately classify your skin cancers in the analysis and ensure the results of the study are valid.

Although an individual may not benefit directly from this study, the men and women working in this profession today and in the future should benefit from the knowledge that is gained from this research. In addition, people exposed to radiation in other occupations and from personal medical tests will benefit from the results of this study.

Protecting privacy is very important to the USRT research team. Please be assured that all information provided is kept strictly confidential and is not be disclosed to anyone but the researchers conducting this study, or as provided by law. Only authorized study personnel have access to study information and we do not share names or other personal information with anyone outside the study.

Research findings are published in peer-reviewed scientific journals. Research presentations and publications present data in statistical summaries only and participants are not identified or identifiable.