The SONIC study is the first school-led study of its kind that intends to learn how moles on the skin change over time with the goal of preventing skin cancer.
The Framingham School System has been in partnership with researchers at Harvard School of Public Health and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center for the past 5 years, in a study to prevent skin cancer. The study team has been following this year's 10th graders for the past five years, monitoring changes in moles on students' backs and legs with the goal of leaning how normal moles change in response to sun exposure and other variables. This year, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) renewed the grant to follow this year's grade 8 classes through high school.
Alan Geller, cancer researcher at Harvard School of Public Health and Marilyn Bishop, special project Nurse at Fuller Middle School, head the Framingham study team. They are recruit ing families of grade 8 students for this year's study activities. As the Framingham Heart Study involved our community in making a major impact on the prevention of a dreaded disease, the study team at SONIC hopes to repeat this endeavor towards the prevention of melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer.
There are currently over 500 SONIC students and families participating, and the number is growing every year.
The SONIC team will take pictures of moles on students' backs and legs this year and again in 11th grade and obtain survey information about sun exposure and sun protection from both students and parents. Strict privacy is ensured.
The unique aspect of these photographs is that with special close up photography, we can spot the earliest changes in your child's moles.
Melanoma is the second most common cancer in young people aged 20-29. Besides getting your child the most up to date skin exam possible, by encouraging your child to participate in the SONIC study, you'll help researchers find a way to stop skin cancer before it starts; not only for your child, but also for millions of other adolescents. More than 500 Framingham families have already participated, enabling the SONIC Study to carry on our town's tradition of contributing to landmark research like the Framingham Heart study, and historic project that provided the basis for the majority of what is known about heart disease today.
Full consent is required from parents and students in order to participate. Students and parents will receive movie tickets at each study encounter.
Information and consent packets were sent to all families of grade 8 students in October of 2009. If you have questions, call or email Marilyn Bishop at 508-620-4956, ext. 2304,
mbishop@framingham.k12.ma.us.