Clinical trial · Interventional
Buddy Relationships in DermatoloGic Excisions for Skin Cancer
Buddy Relationships in DermatoloGic Excisions for Skin Cancer ("BRIDGES"): A Trial of One-to-one Peer Support in Patients With Facial Skin Cancers Treated With Mohs Surgery
- Source
- ClinicalTrials.gov
- Retrieved
- Sep 8, 2026
- Layer
- normalized (units and labels harmonized; values unchanged)
- Run
- ING-CLINICALTRIALS-20260908-000001
Summary
Brief summary (as posted)
More than 5 million skin cancer surgeries are performed each year in the United States with 80% of tumors appearing on the head and neck. Facial skin cancer diagnosis negatively affects patient quality of life (QOL) and treatment of skin cancer creates visible scars early in the postoperative period, increases anxiety, and impairs social interactions. We believe that these negative psychosocial changes represent an unmet need for additional social support and practical guidance. A one-to-one peer support program designed for skin cancer patients could provide a focused, cost-effective, patient-centered intervention to improve quality of life and increase satisfaction. Comparable one-to-one peer support programs have demonstrated high rates of patient satisfaction and positive QOL outcomes in a wide range of conditions. This prospective peer support program would be the first of its kind for melanoma and keratinocytic skin cancers. Our pilot program was designed in consultation with leading peer mentorship program researchers and we will implement a structured system to match volunteer mentors with patients. Through qualitative and quantitative data, we will evaluate the program's effect on patient QOL at 3 separate intervals: at initial consultation, 1-2 weeks post-surgery, and 3 months post-surgery. We hope that this study will enable us to design and execute a larger multi-center clinical trial in order to establish a best practice for surgeons to usher patients through the postoperative healing process after skin cancer surgery.
Conditions
Conditions (4)
Free-text conditions as registered, with the CancerIndex entity they were reconciled to and the match type.
| Condition (as posted) | Mapped entity | Match | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peer Mentorship | — | UNRESOLVED | — |
| Quality of Life | — | UNRESOLVED | — |
| Skin Cancer Face | — | UNRESOLVED | — |
| Surgical Wound | — | UNRESOLVED | — |
Interventions
Interventions (1)
| Intervention | Type | Mapped drug | Match |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peer Mentorship Program | Behavioral | — | UNRESOLVED |
Design
Arms and outcomes
Arms (3)
- type
- NO_INTERVENTION
- label
- Control
- description
- Control participants receive treatment for a facial skin cancer with Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS), however, do not receive a peer mentor. Participants complete 3 online Skin Cancer Index (SCI) surveys at enrollment, 1 week follow-up, and 3 month follow-up.
- type
- EXPERIMENTAL
- label
- Mentee - Preoperative Consult
- description
- Mentees are enrolled at preoperative consultation visit and paired with a peer mentor throughout their treatment of a facial cancer with MMS. Participants have regular contact with their mentor and complete 3 online SCI surveys at enrollment, 1 week follow-up, and 3 month follow-up.
- interventionNames
- Behavioral: Peer Mentorship Program
- type
- EXPERIMENTAL
- label
- Mentee - Same Day Surgery
- description
Eligibility
Eligibility (as posted)
- Sex
- All
- Minimum age
- 18 Years
Show eligibility criteria text
Inclusion Criteria: * Eligible candidates will be English-speaking adults with non-metastatic facial skin cancers. Exclusion Criteria: * Candidates with severe symptoms of mood, anxiety, or substance use at time of recruitment screening. Participants who require interdisciplinary collaboration (e.g. MMS + plastic surgery, ENT, etc.) for treatment of their facial skin cancer.
References
Publications (7)
- BACKGROUNDGuy GP Jr, Machlin SR, Ekwueme DU, Yabroff KR. Prevalence and costs of skin cancer treatment in the U.S., 2002-2006 and 2007-2011. Am J Prev Med. 2015 Feb;48(2):183-187. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2014.08.036. Epub 2014 Nov 10. PMID 25442229
- BACKGROUNDZhang J, Miller CJ, O'Malley V, Etzkorn JR, Shin TM, Sobanko JF. Patient quality of life fluctuates before and after Mohs micrographic surgery: A longitudinal assessment of the patient experience. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2018 Jun;78(6):1060-1067. doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2018.02.065. Epub 2018 Mar 5. PMID 29518455
- BACKGROUNDSobanko JF, Zhang J, Margolis DJ, Etzkorn JR, Shin TM, Sarwer DB, Miller CJ. Patient-reported quality of life and psychosocial health prior to skin cancer treatment - A cross-sectional study. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2016 Jul;75(1):217-218.e2. doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2016.01.033. No abstract available. PMID 27317520
- BACKGROUNDSobanko JF, Sarwer DB, Zvargulis Z, Miller CJ. Importance of physical appearance in patients with skin cancer. Dermatol Surg. 2015 Feb;41(2):183-8. doi: 10.1097/DSS.0000000000000253. PMID 25654193
- BACKGROUNDPearl RL, Shao K, Shin TM, Miller CJ, Sobanko JF. Acute Appearance Concerns in Patients Undergoing Mohs Surgery: A Single-Institution Cross-Sectional Study. Dermatol Surg. 2018 Oct;44(10):1349-1351. doi: 10.1097/DSS.0000000000001431. No abstract available. PMID 30256237
- BACKGROUNDMeyer A, Coroiu A, Korner A. One-to-one peer support in cancer care: a review of scholarship published between 2007 and 2014. Eur J Cancer Care (Engl). 2015 May;24(3):299-312. doi: 10.1111/ecc.12273. Epub 2014 Dec 16. PMID 25512107
- BACKGROUNDBadger K, Royse D. Adult burn survivors' views of peer support: a qualitative study. Soc Work Health Care. 2010;49(4):299-313. doi: 10.1080/00981380903493095.