67 Experts at City of Hope®, one of the US largest and most advanced cancer research and treatment organisations, are highlighting the increased risk of skin cancer among Haematopoietic Cell Transplant (HCT) survivors and the importance of early detection. New research from City of Hope, published in JNCCN: Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, shows that a cost-effective, scalable education programme for survivors and their doctors can significantly improve screening. “HCT survivors face a markedly elevated risk of skin cancer, yet screening rates remain low, especially after they transition out of specialty care. This study shows that practical, scalable solutions can close that gap and may be applicable to other long term complications in cancer survivors,” said study first author Saro Armenian, DO, MPH, director of the Center for Survivorship and Outcomes at City of Hope. Haematopoietic cell transplantation, also known as a bone marrow or stem cell transplant, is used to treat leukaemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma, and other blood cancers, as well as conditions such as aplastic anaemia and sickle cell disease. Survivors face nearly twice the risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma and other skin cancers, including basal cell carcinoma, melanoma, and Merkel cell carcinoma. These cancers often develop three to five years after transplantation, highlighting the importance of regular self-examinations and annual skin checks. City of Hope’s patient activation and education programme randomly assigned 720 transplant survivors to two groups. All participants received educational materials by post, including information about their increased skin cancer risk, instructions on performing a skin self-examination, and photographs of suspicious lesions for reference. They also received regular text messages reinforcing the information. Around half of the participants had an additional intervention: City of Hope sent their primary care doctors information about the link between haematopoietic cell transplantation and skin cancer risk, together with guidance on performing full-body skin examinations. The results were striking. The proportion of patients performing self-examinations and receiving annual skin checks from their doctors nearly tripled overall. While patient education alone increased the rate of self-examinations, participants whose doctors also received educational materials were 40% more likely to undergo an in-office skin examination than those whose doctors did not. “One notable finding was how effective patient education alone was in increasing self-examination, even without intensive intervention,” Dr Armenian said. “At the same time, the added benefit of physician activation specifically for clinical exams reinforces how critical provider education remains.” Patient activation programmes are used in other areas of chronic disease management and cancer survivorship, but Dr Armenian said they have rarely been applied in a coordinated way to both transplant survivors and their primary care physicians. He described the City of Hope study as a model that could be expanded to reach more people at high risk of cancer, reflecting the organisation’s view that survivorship is a core, non-negotiable part of every patient’s treatment journey. Dr Armenian said the findings are already shaping how City of Hope delivers follow-up care. “These results are informing how we think about survivorship care delivery, particularly the use of remote, low-intensity strategies to support patients as they transition to primary care,” he said. “The approach aligns well with efforts to scale risk-based, technology-enabled survivorship models across broader populations.” The study, Technology-Enabled Patient and Physician Activation to Enhance Skin Cancer Screening After HCT (TEACH Study): A Randomised Controlled Trial, was published in JNCCN: Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network on 6th August 2026.