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Active, not recruitingNCT05634252RISE-UPUpdated Jul 27, 2026

Undergraduate Skin Cancer Prevention Trial

A Phase 3 interventional study of Education and Action Plan in Skin Cancer, sponsored by University of Utah. Active, not recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-07-27.

Sponsored by University of Utah · Phase 3, Interventional, and Prevention

Phase
Phase 3
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
528
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The proposed study is a Multiphase Optimization Strategy (MOST) that uses factorial experiments to evaluate individual and combined effects of intervention components to improve intervention efficiency. The study team anticipates enrolling a total of 528 undergraduate students (>18 years) into the trial to identify intervention approaches that eliminate sunburn, and secondarily to motivate sun protection and discourage tanning. The study team will test personalized risk components: 1) UV Photo, 2) Action Plan, and 3) MC1R Testing. A full factorial experiment will be conducted to test which of the proposed components or their combinations eliminate sunburn over one year. The study team will also examine effects of the intervention on secondary outcomes. Study assessments will be completed at 4 time points: baseline, 1-month post-intervention, 4-months post-intervention, and 15-months post-intervention.

Read the detailed description

The proposed study is a Multiphase Optimization Strategy (MOST) that uses factorial experiments to evaluate individual and combined effects of intervention components to improve intervention efficiency. The study team will use MOST to test an intervention that has the potential to eliminate sunburn in higher-risk young people during the highest risk times of the year. The study will enroll a total of 528 undergraduate students (>18 years) total in Years 1 through 4 of the award period.

After students provide informed consent, they will complete a baseline assessment via the REDCap data capture system on their sunburn occurrence, sun protection behaviors, and tanning behaviors. Following the baseline assessment, students will be randomized to each group using computer-generated randomly permuted blocks, stratified by sex and unintentional/intentional tanning. There are three intervention components that are candidates for inclusion in the optimized RISE-UP intervention: 1) UV Photo, 2) Action Plan, and 3) MC1R Testing. All conditions will receive education on skin cancer and strategies to prevention skin cancer, including sun protection strategies and avoidance of intentional and unintentional tanning.

The optimized intervention will take place approximately one month after the baseline assessment. Participants allocated to receive the UV photo will receive a printout photo of their face in visible light and UV light from the VISIA Complexion Analysis system. Participants who receive the action plan will complete an individualized sun protection and tanning plan for situations in which they receive ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposure. Participants who are allocated to receive MC1R testing will be asked to provide a saliva sample. Once sequenced, participants will receive their results that addresses both their personal and population risk level.

One month after the optimized intervention, participants will be asked to complete another assessment. Participants will also be asked to complete an additional follow-up assessment 3 months later and at 15-months post-intervention. In total, participants will be asked to complete 4 separate assessments. Participants will also be asked to wear a UVR monitoring device for 7-day periods immediately after each of the 4 assessments.

02

Conditions studied

  • Skin Cancer

Keywords

  • Young Adults
  • Sunburn
  • Tanning
03

In context

Skin Neoplasms

604 studies on the registry are indexed under Skin Neoplasms; 126 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 528 is above the median of 55 across 408 interventional studies indexed under Skin Neoplasms.

Browse Skin Neoplasms studies →

Lead sponsor

University of Utah is the lead sponsor of 994 studies on the registry; 175 are open to participants now.

Of its 114 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 69 (61%) have results posted.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • At least 18 years old
  • Enrolled as an undergraduate student
  • Report having at least one sunburn in the last year, AND/OR having tanned indoors at least once in the last year, AND/OR intentional or unintentional outdoor tanning "sometimes," "often," or "always," AND/OR or using sunscreen plus one or more other sun protection behavior (protective clothing use, shade use when outdoors) infrequently ("never," "seldom," or "sometimes").

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Do not read or speak English
  • Self-reported personal history of skin cancer
05

Study design

Phase
Phase 3
Primary purpose
Prevention
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Factorial assignment
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
528 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Education + Action Plan + UV Photo + MC1R Test

    Students in this intervention will receive education on skin cancer and prevention strategies, complete an individualized sun protection and tanning worksheet for situations in which they receive UVR exposure, receive a printout of a photo of their face in visible light and UV light from the VISIA Complexion Analysis system, and provide a saliva sample using an Oragene® clinical-grade saliva kit and receive individualized results following MC1R sequencing.

    Behavioral: Education · Behavioral: Action Plan · Behavioral: UV Photo · Behavioral: MC1R Test

  • Experimental
    Education + Action Plan + UV Photo

    Students in this intervention will receive education on skin cancer and prevention strategies, complete an individualized sun protection and tanning worksheet for situations in which they receive UVR exposure, and receive a printout of a photo of their face in visible light and UV light from the VISIA Complexion Analysis system.

    Behavioral: Education · Behavioral: Action Plan · Behavioral: UV Photo

  • Experimental
    Education + Action Plan + MC1R Test

    Students in this intervention will receive education on skin cancer and prevention strategies, complete an individualized sun protection and tanning worksheet for situations in which they receive UVR exposure, and provide a saliva sample using an Oragene® clinical-grade saliva kit and receive individualized results following MC1R sequencing.

    Behavioral: Education · Behavioral: Action Plan · Behavioral: MC1R Test

  • Experimental
    Education + Action Plan

    Students in this intervention will receive education on skin cancer and prevention strategies and complete an individualized sun protection and tanning worksheet for situations in which they receive UVR exposure.

    Behavioral: Education · Behavioral: Action Plan

  • Experimental
    Education + UV Photo + MC1R Test

    Students in this intervention will receive education on skin cancer and prevention strategies, receive a printout of a photo of their face in visible light and UV light from the VISIA Complexion Analysis system, and provide a saliva sample using an Oragene® clinical-grade saliva kit and receive individualized results following MC1R sequencing.

    Behavioral: Education · Behavioral: UV Photo · Behavioral: MC1R Test

  • Experimental
    Education + UV Photo

    Students in this intervention will receive education on skin cancer and prevention strategies and receive a printout of a photo of their face in visible light and UV light from the VISIA Complexion Analysis system.

    Behavioral: Education · Behavioral: UV Photo

  • Experimental
    Education + MC1R Test

    Students in this intervention will receive education on skin cancer and prevention strategies and provide a saliva sample using an Oragene® clinical-grade saliva kit and receive individualized results following MC1R sequencing.

    Behavioral: Education · Behavioral: MC1R Test

  • Experimental
    Education

    Students in this intervention will receive education on skin cancer and prevention strategies.

    Behavioral: Education

Interventions

  • BehavioralEducation

    All conditions will receive education on skin cancer and strategies to prevention skin cancer, including sun protection strategies and avoidance of intentional and unintentional tanning.

  • BehavioralAction Plan

    Participants will be guided through a worksheet for creating a personalized action plan for creating individualized sun protection and tanning plans for situations in which they receive UVR exposure. For the tanning worksheet, participants who report any tanning identify the locations at or activities during which they tan, select a tanning behavior to plan for, and then are guided through the steps of making a specific plan for an alternate activity that meets their goals while minimizing tanning and using sun protection.

  • BehavioralUV Photo

    Participants will receive a printout of a photo of their face in visible light and UV light from the VISIA Complexion Analysis system. Participants will receive a handout of their photos accompanied by an explanation of UV light, its harmful effects on skin, and that using sun safe behaviors early in life will have the greatest impact and help to decrease risk for skin cancer.

  • BehavioralMC1R Test

    Participants will provide a saliva sample using an Oragene® clinical-grade saliva kit. Once sequenced, participants will receive their MC1R testing results via web as well as a standardized booklet that addresses personal risk level and population risk level, strategies to reduce skin cancer risk, and number to call or email for further information.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Change in Sunburn Occurrence

    Participants will report on the number of sunburns they experienced using an item from the Sun Habits Survey: "In the past month, how many times did you have a red or painful sunburn that lasted a day or more?"

    Time frame: Baseline, 1-month post-intervention, 3-months post-intervention, 15-months post-intervention

Secondary outcomes

  1. Change in Sun Protection Behaviors

    Participants will report on their use of sun protection using the Sun Habits Survey. Items will be modified to reflect the reporting period relevant for the current study (past month), to assess recommended sun protection behaviors not included in the original Sun Habits Survey (e.g., sunscreen re-application), and to assess sun protection separately for weekdays and weekends. All items are assessed on a 5-point Likert-type scale ("never" to "always").

    Time frame: Baseline, 1-month post-intervention, 3-months post-intervention, 15-months post-intervention

  2. Change in Intentional Tanning Behaviors

    Self-reported indoor and outdoor tanning behaviors will be assessed. Frequency of intentional indoor and outdoor tanning in the past month will be assessed using items from a well-established indoor tanning measure and the Sun Habits Survey. All items are assessed on a 5-point Likert-type scale ("never" to "always").

    Time frame: Baseline, 1-month post-intervention, 3-months post-intervention, 15-months post-intervention

  3. Change in Unintentional Tanning Behaviors

    Unintentional outdoor tanning (i.e., ending up with a tan when the student was not trying to get tan) will also be assessed. All items are assessed on a 5-point Likert-type scale ("never" to "always").

    Time frame: Baseline, 1-month post-intervention, 3-months post-intervention, 15-months post-intervention

  4. Change in UVR Exposure

    Participants will be asked to wear a UVR monitoring device for 7-day periods, a monitoring length consistent with prior studies and that captures both weekday and weekend exposure, immediately after each of the 4 assessments.

    Time frame: Baseline, 1-month post-intervention, 3-months post-intervention, 15-months post-intervention

07

Study locations

1 site
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Wu YP, Woodside LA, Kaphingst KA, Jensen JD, Hamilton JG, Kohlmann W, Haaland B, Brintz BJ, Phillips SM, Hay JL. The Risk Information and Skin-cancer Education for Undergraduate Prevention (RISE-UP) Study: Protocol for a Trial of Personalized Sun Protection Interventions for Skin Cancer Prevention among Undergraduate Students. Contemp Clin Trials. 2024 Dec;147:107728. doi: 10.1016/j.cct.2024.107728. Epub 2024 Nov 2. PubMed 39491719 ↗

Study documents

PDFs hosted by the registry, ClinicalTrials.gov.

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Jul 27, 2026, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT05634252
Lead sponsor
University of Utah
Responsible party
Yelena Wu (Associate Professor, Investigator, University of Utah) — Principal investigator
First posted
Dec 2, 2022
Start date
Apr 24, 2023
Primary completion
Sep 4, 2027 (estimated)
Completion
Sep 4, 2027 (estimated)
Last update
Jul 27, 2026

Study contacts

Yelena Wu, PhD
principal investigator · University of Utah
Jennifer Hay, PhD
principal investigator · Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is active, not recruiting, as verified in Jul 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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