A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of the Feasibility, Acceptability, and Impact of Giving Information on Personalized Genomic Risk of Melanoma to the Public
Published in
Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, February 2017
Communication of personalised melanoma genomic risk information may improve melanoma prevention behaviours.
We evaluated the feasibility and acceptability of communicating personalised genomic risk of melanoma to the public, and its preliminary impact on behaviours and psychosocial outcomes. 118 people aged 22-69 years provided a saliva sample and were randomised to the control (non-personalised educational materials), or intervention (personalised booklet presenting melanoma genomic risk as absolute and relative risks and a risk category based on variants in 21 genes, telephone-based genetic counselling, and non-personalised educational materials). Intention-to-treat analyses overall and by risk category were conducted using ANCOVA adjusted for baseline values.
Consent to participate was 41%, 99% were successfully genotyped, 92% completed 3-month follow-up. Intervention participants reported high satisfaction with the personalised booklet (mean=8.6, SD=1.6; on a 0-10 scale) and genetic counselling (mean=8.1, SD=2.2). No significant behavioural effects at 3-months follow-up were identified between intervention and control groups overall: objectively-measured standard erythemal doses per day (-16%, 95% confidence interval (CI): -43%, 24%), sun protection index (0.05, 95% CI: -0.07, 0.18). There was increased confidence identifying melanoma at 3-months (0.40, 95% CI: 0.10, 0.69). Stratified by risk category, effect sizes for intentional tanning and some individual sun protection items appeared stronger for the average-risk group. There were no appreciable group differences in skin cancer related worry or psychological distress.
Our results demonstrate feasibility and acceptability of providing personalised genomic risk of melanoma to the public.
Genomic risk information has potential as a melanoma prevention strategy.
This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 74. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 17 October 2025.
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