MelMarT-II

Melanoma trial to determine optimal surgical excision margin

The MelMarT-II Trial is investigating whether reducing the amount of skin removed during surgery can reduce the risk of associated long-term pain and improve quality of life without increasing the risk of melanoma returning.

Currently there is no high-quality evidence or consensus in the medical community about the optimal melanoma excision margin size for high-risk primary cutaneous melanoma.

The international clinical trial coordinated by MASC Trials is hoping to resolve this issue by investigating whether there is a difference in disease-free survival for patients treated with either a 1cm or 2cm excision margin for stage II primary cutaneous melanoma.

Almost 3,000 participants from around the world will join the trial, which is a phase III, multi-centre, multi-national randomised control trial.

Coordinated by Melanoma and Skin Cancer Trials Ltd in Australia, the trial is located across 26 international sites in Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, USA, Canada, The Netherlands and Sweden. Plans for establishing more trial sites are underway, including new sites in Ireland and Slovenia. All current actively recruiting sites are listed at the bottom of this page.

Eligibility

To participate in the trial, participants must be 18 years or older, presenting with an ECOG of 0-1 and have been diagnosed with primary cutaneous melanoma. Randomisation and treatment must be performed within 120 days of diagnosis and participants must have no previous malignancy or primary except low-risk non-melanoma skin cancer, unless in remission and greater than five years since diagnosis.

What's involved?

Once determined as being eligible, participants will be randomised 1:1 to either a 1 cm excision margin or a 2 cm excision margin, in combination with a staging sentinel lymph node biopsy. Participants will be monitored in accordance with their surgical team’s standard of care. Follow-up assessments will occur three, six, 12, 18 and 24 months after surgery, and then annually thereafter for up to 10 years.

Why should I join MelMarT-II?

This practice-changing study aims to further medical knowledge and define the appropriate management of Stage II primary cutaneous melanoma for Australia and the international melanoma community.

Trial resources

For patients

MelMarT-II Trial Team

  • Prof Michael Henderson (Study Co-Chair)
  • Prof Marc Moncrieff (Study Co-Chair)
  • A/Prof David Gyorki (Study Co-Investigator)
  • Prof Andrew Spillane (Study Co-Investigator)
  • A/Prof Robyn Saw (Study Co-Investigator)
  • Prof Roger Olofsson Bagge (Principal Investigator in Sweden)
  • Dr Frances Wright (Principal Investigator in Canada)
  • Dr Janet Dancey (Principal Investigator in Canada)
  • Dr Joshua Mammen (Principal Investigator in USA)
  • Dr Shirley Potter (Principal Investigator in Ireland)
  • Emeritus Professor Madeleine King (Statistician)
  • Prof Rory Wolfe (Statistician)
  • A/Prof Serigne Lo (Statistician)

Trial sites currently recruiting patients

Australia
  • Peter MacCallum Cancer Institute, VIC – Prof Michael Henderson
  • Alfred Health, VIC – Dr Frank Bruscino-Raiola
  • Melanoma Institute Australia & Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, NSW – Prof Andrew Spillane and A/Prof Robyn Saw
  • Calvary Public Hospital Bruce, ACT – Dr Rebecca Read
  • Western Sydney Local Health District, NSW – Prof Pablo Fernandez-Penas

New Zealand

  • North Shore Hospital, Auckland – Mr Richard Martin

Canada

  • Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa – Dr Carolyn Nissim
  • Hotel-Dieu de Quebec, Quebec – Dr Cindy Boulanger-Gobeil
  • Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto – Dr Frances Wright
  • Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre, Ontario – Dr Renee Hanrahan
  • Hospital Maisonneuve Rosemont, Quebec – Dr Mai-Kim Gervais
  • Juravinski Cancer Centre at Hamilton Health Sciences, Ontario – Dr Valerie Francescutti
  • Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Ontario – Dr Alexandra Easson
  • Tom Baker Cancer Centre, Calgary – Dr Greg McKinnon
  • CancerCare Manitoba – Dr Justin Rivard

Sweden

  • Central Hospital Kristianstad, Kristianstad – Dr Karolin Isaksson
  • Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg – A/Prof Roger Olofsson Bagge

The Netherlands

  • Zuyderland Medical Center, Heerlen – Dr James Van Bastelaar
  • Flevoziekenhuis, Almere – Dr Gwen Diepenhorst

Slovenia

  • Institute of Oncology Ljubljana – Barbara Perić
USA
  • Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Jersey – Prof Adam Berger
  • Cedars-Sinai The Angeles Clinic & Research Institute, California – Dr Mark Faries
  • Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Georgia – Dr Michael Lowe
  • Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Utah – A/Prof John Hyngstrom
  • Memorial Sloan Kettering Institute for Cancer Research, New York – A/Prof Danielle Bello
  • Fox Chase Cancer Center, Pennsylvania – Dr Stephanie Greco
  • Spectrum Health at Butterworth Campus, Michigan – Dr Kathleen Yost
  • Northside Hospital Atlanta – Nicole Kounalakis
  • West Michigan Cancer Centre – Kathleen Yost
  • Washington University School of Medicine – Ryan Fields
  • OUHSC Stephenson Cancer Center – William Dooley

United Kingdom

  • Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Norwich – Prof Marc Moncrieff
  • St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Merseyside – Prof Rowan Pritchard-Jones
  • The Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds – Mr Howard Peach
  • St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London – Ms Joy Odili
  • North Bristol NHS Trust – Mr Ewan Wilson
  • South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust of The James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough – Mr Oliver Bassett
  • St Thomas’s NHS Foundation Trust of St Thomas’ Hospital – Ms Jenny Geh
  • Nottingham University Hospitals, NHS Foundation Trust – Mr Jonathan Pollock
  • Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust – Prof Peter Dziewulski
  • The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London – Mr Myles Smith
  • Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge – Mr Amer Durrani
  • Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust – Mr Oliver Cassell
  • Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust – Mr Siva Kumar
  • Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust – Mr Paolo Matteucci

Contact and more information

MelMarT-II Trial news

To contact the Mel-MarT-II clinical trial email melmart@masc.org.au

MelMarT-II clinical trial Registration ID: NCT03860883

For information on how to participate in a clinical trial, click here

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