Smaller vs. larger surgical cuts for early melanoma treatment

Plain-English translation of NCT06673095 on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗ · Source last updated May 2026 · Translation generated June 2026 · How we translate trials

This study doesn't follow the usual testing phases — it may be an observational study or a different type of research.

What is this trial?

This trial is testing whether doctors can safely treat early-stage melanoma with smaller surgical margins (the area of healthy skin removed around the cancer) instead of the traditional larger margins. The study will compare how well these two approaches work over 5 years, measuring whether the cancer comes back and how the surgery affects your quality of life and healing.

Larger surgical margins have been standard for melanoma, but they can leave bigger scars and require more complex reconstruction. Doctors want to know if smaller margins can be just as effective, especially for early-stage melanomas, so patients can have better outcomes with less damage to their skin and appearance.

Do you qualify?

You likely qualify if…

you are 18 years or older
you have been diagnosed with stage IA or IB cutaneous melanoma (early-stage skin cancer)
your melanoma has been classified as low-risk based on a specific genetic test
you are able and willing to attend follow-up visits over 5 years
you speak, read, and write English or Spanish

You likely don't qualify if…

you have already had wide surgical excision at the site of your melanoma
you have evidence that your melanoma has spread to lymph nodes or other parts of your body
you have a type of melanoma called pure desmoplastic melanoma (more than 90% desmoplastic)
you have had surgery to check your lymph nodes (such as a sentinel lymph node biopsy) for this melanoma
you are unwilling or unable to follow the study procedures

What participation looks like

You will be randomly assigned to receive surgery with either a smaller margin or a larger margin around your melanoma. After your surgery, you will have follow-up visits at 1 week, then at 3, 6, 12, 36, 48, and 60 months to check how you're healing and whether the cancer has returned. You may also be asked to provide optional blood samples throughout the study to help researchers understand how your immune system responds to the cancer.

AI-generated summary from trial data · Jun 18, 2026 · Not medical advice

Trial locations(5 sites)

United States

University of California, Davis, Davis, California

University of Kentucky/Markey Cancer Center, Lexington, Kentucky

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan

University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio

OHSU Knight Cancer Institute, Portland, Oregon