Skin Cancer Follow-Up: Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why are you contacting me? I don't remember being in the study.
2. Why is my information important? I don't believe my occupation had anything to do with cancer. I never worked in the field. I retired (a long time ago).
3. Why do you need my medical records?
4. Do I have to sign the form?
5. How do I know you'll keep this information confidential?

• Frequently Asked Questions about the study in general
• Instructions for Completing the Skin Cancer Map [PDF-107kb]

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1. Why are you contacting me? I don't remember being in the study.

We are currently contacting study participants who completed the USRT Third Survey between 2004 and 2006 and indicated a diagnosis of skin cancer or malignant melanoma.

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2. Why is my information important? I don't believe my occupation had anything to do with cancer. I never worked in the field. I retired (a long time ago).

Research on the causes of cancers is best determined by looking at all diagnoses of cancer – not only those believed to be caused by exposure. Because cancer can take many years to develop, it is important to continue to follow-up with study participants who have retired or are no longer working in this profession. It is important to look at a wide range of exposure, including people with little or no exposure. The information collected in this study is then compared to cancer rates in the general population to see if there are differences.

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3. Why do you need my medical records?

Information from your medical records, for example a pathology report, is used to better classify the cancer diagnosis. This information is used in analysis.

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4. Do I have to sign the form?

You do not have to sign the form, but we do encourage you to do so for the benefit of radiologic technologists in the future and to add to the general body of information about cancer risk related to low dose radiation. If you have copies of your medical records pertaining to your skin cancer diagnoses and prefer to provides copies to us directly, that would be fine. If you do not wish to release these records, your participation in completing the Skin Cancer Follow-up Form and Skin Cancer Map is still very important.

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5. How do I know you'll keep this information confidential?

To protect the confidentiality of study participants, all personal identifiers are separated from the data that are analyzed. All study records are kept in locked cabinets accessible only to study staff members who need access. Study results are published in statistical summaries only with no individual identifiers.