Skin Cancer FaceNCT03382704
Vellus Hair Loss as a Marker for Peri-ocular Malignancy
An observational study of Skin Cancer Face, run by NHS Lothian at 1 site in United Kingdom.
Trial summary
Skin cancers around the eye are common, but so are other lid lumps. It is useful to be able to tell which lumps are likely to be cancer. This study looks at whether the loss of fine hairs (vellus hairs) on the skin are a good indicator of whether a lump is a skin cancer or not. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Skin Cancer Face
- What is being tested?
- Examination for presence or absence of vellus hairs
- How many people
- 0 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited Kingdom
- Study dates
- Mar 2020to Dec 2020
- Phase
- Observational
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Study population: All cases undergoing incision or excision biopsy of peri-ocular lesions at the study institution during the study period
Who may be able to join
- patients undergoing biopsy for peri-ocular lesion
Who cannot join
- Age under 18; previous biopsy or excision on the same lid
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United Kingdom1 site
Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion
Edinburgh, Midlothian, EH3 9HA
About this study
Skin cancers around the eye are common, but so are other lid lumps. It is useful to be able to tell which lumps are likely to be cancer.
This study looks at whether the loss of fine hairs (vellus hairs) on the skin are a good indicator of whether a lump is a skin cancer or not.
Read more
The investigators are recruiting patients who have lid lumps who haven't had a biopsy before, who would be having a biopsy as part of their treatment, and seeing whether those who have loss of the fine skin hairs are the same as those who have skin cancer confirmed on their biopsy.
The study doesn't involve any extra examinations or treatments for participants. The investigators look at the patients before the biopsy as part of their usual care, and take a note of whether or not they have lost the fine hairs at this stage.
The main benefit of participating is that the medical community has better evidence about which lid lumps are likely to represent skin cancer, helping future diagnosis.
There are no additional risks to participating. The risks of biopsy are unchanged whether patients participate in the study or not.
The study is run from the Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion in Edinburgh.
The investigators aim to start the study in Spring 2020, and will most likely recruit for 6 months depending on the number of participants recruited.
There is no additional funding from any source at present - the work will be undertaken by doctors in their research time.
- Conditions
- Skin Cancer Face
- Being tested
- Examination for presence or absence of vellus hairs
- Keywords
- Peri-ocular
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Examination for presence or absence of vellus hairsDiagnostic test
Pre-operative examination for presence or absence of vellus hairs
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Patients undergoing biopsy | Patients undergoing biopsy (incisional or excisional) of peri-ocular lesions. Pre-operative examination for presence or absence of vellus hairs Receives: Diagnostic Test: Examination for presence or absence of vellus hairs |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Vellus hair presence/absence
Examination for the presence or absence of vellus hairs prior to biopsy
Measured: Day 1
Biopsy result
Biopsy result looking for malignancy
Measured: On receipt of biopsy result from pathology lab (~1 week)
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted26 Dec 2017
- Study startMar 2020 (estimated)
- Primary completionSep 2020 (estimated)
- Study completionDec 2020 (estimated)
Why it stopped: withdrawn prior to approvals being given
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Skin Cancer FaceStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Observational
- Observational model
- Case only
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Enrolment
- 0 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- NHS Lothian
- Sponsor type
- Other government
- Collaborators
- Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Robert G Peden, MA; MBBS; FRCOphth, Principal investigator, NHS Lothian
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03382704
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 229755
- Status last verified
- Sep 2025
- First submitted
- 13 Dec 2017
- Last updated
- 16 Jan 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 16 Jan 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Vellus Hair Loss as a Marker for Peri-ocular Malignancy
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03382704
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 229755
- Conditions
- Skin Cancer Face
- Keywords
- Peri-ocular
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- WithdrawnReason stopped: withdrawn prior to approvals being given
- Enrolment
- 0 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- NHS LothianOther government
- Collaborators
- Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Study start
- Mar 2020 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- Sep 2020 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Dec 2020 (estimated)
- First posted
- 26 Dec 2017 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Skin cancers around the eye are common, but so are other lid lumps. It is useful to be able to tell which lumps are likely to be cancer.
This study looks at whether the loss of fine hairs (vellus hairs) on the skin are a good indicator of whether a lump is a skin cancer or not.
The investigators are recruiting patients who have lid lumps who haven't had a biopsy before, who would be having a biopsy as part of their treatment, and seeing whether those who have loss of the fine skin hairs are the same as those who have skin cancer confirmed on their biopsy.
The study doesn't involve any extra examinations or treatments for participants. The investigators look at the patients before the biopsy as part of their usual care, and take a note of whether or not they have lost the fine hairs at this stage.
The main benefit of participating is that the medical community has better evidence about which lid lumps are likely to represent skin cancer, helping future diagnosis.
There are no additional risks to participating. The risks of biopsy are unchanged whether patients participate in the study or not.
The study is run from the Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion in Edinburgh.
The investigators aim to start the study in Spring 2020, and will most likely recruit for 6 months depending on the number of participants recruited.
There is no additional funding from any source at present - the work will be undertaken by doctors in their research time.
Study design
- Observational model
- Case only
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Patients undergoing biopsy | – | Diagnostic Test: Examination for presence or absence of vellus hairsPatients undergoing biopsy (incisional or excisional) of peri-ocular lesions. Pre-operative examination for presence or absence of vellus hairs |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
- Study population
- All cases undergoing incision or excision biopsy of peri-ocular lesions at the study institution during the study period
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- patients undergoing biopsy for peri-ocular lesion
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Age under 18; previous biopsy or excision on the same lid
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Examination for presence or absence of vellus hairsPre-operative examination for presence or absence of vellus hairs | Diagnostic test | Patients undergoing biopsy |
Primary outcome
Vellus hair presence/absence
Time frame: Day 1
Examination for the presence or absence of vellus hairs prior to biopsy
Biopsy result
Time frame: On receipt of biopsy result from pathology lab (~1 week)
Biopsy result looking for malignancy
Results and safety
The study was withdrawn before enrolling participants, so there are no results.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 16 Jan 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Robert G Peden, MA; MBBS; FRCOphth principal investigator
NHS Lothian
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Skin Cancer Face, run by NHS Lothian at 1 site in United Kingdom.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: withdrawn, as of the sponsor's last update on 16 Jan 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United Kingdom. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study was withdrawn before enrolling participants, so there are no results.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Vellus hair presence/absence (time frame: Day 1). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 16 Jan 2026.