EMLA Topical Cream for Treatment of Pain in Patients Receiving Intra-Dermal Technetium 99 Injections for Lymphoscintigraphy for Skin Cancers

Investigating the Use of EMLA Topical Cream for Patients Receiving Intra-Dermal Technetium 99 Injections for Lymphoscintigraphy for Cutaneous Cancers

EMLA Topical Cream for Treatment of Pain in Patients Receiving Intra-Dermal Technetium 99 Injections for Lymphoscintigraphy for Skin Cancers (NCT06223659) is a Phase 2 interventional studying Cutaneous Melanoma and Merkel Cell Carcinoma, sponsored by Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center. RECRUITING as of the most recent ClinicalTrials.gov update. Talk to your doctor before contacting the trial site.

About This Trial

This phase II trial tests how well EMLA topical cream works in treating pain in patients with skin cancers receiving Technetium 99 injections for a lymphoscintigraphy mapping procedure. A lymphoscintigraphy mapping procedure is used to find the main or lead lymph node (tissue that fight infection) so it can be removed and checked for tumor cells. Using lymphoscintigraphy to highlight and then surgically remove lymph nodes is standard way to treat skin cancer for many patients. The Technetium 99 injections used for lymphoscintigraphy can be briefly painful due to the sensitivity of the nerve endings in the skin. The EMLA topical cream, which contains a numbing medicine to block pain from nerve endings, has been studied in breast cancer patients with a difference in pain reported, but this is the first time it has been studied in patients undergoing lymphoscintigraphy for skin cancer. This study may help researchers learn whether the use of EMLA cream may improve the associated pain at the time of the lymphoscintigraphy procedure.

What Stage of Research Is This?

Phase 2 trials evaluate whether a treatment actually works against Cutaneous Melanoma and continue monitoring side effects. Phase 2 enrolls larger groups (typically 100–300 patients) and produces the first real efficacy signal. A successful Phase 2 readout is what unlocks the much larger Phase 3 confirmatory trials needed for FDA approval.

This trial is currently recruiting participants. The sponsor has registered the study with ClinicalTrials.gov as actively enrolling, which means new applicants who meet the eligibility criteria can be considered for screening. Trial status can change between updates — confirm current recruiting status with the study contact before traveling for a screening visit.

Target enrollment of 100 participants puts this in the typical range for a Phase 2-style efficacy study or a moderate Phase 3 trial in a focused Cutaneous Melanoma subpopulation. At this scale, the study has enough statistical power to detect a clear treatment effect but is not the largest cohort in the field.

Who May Be Eligible (Plain English)

Who May Qualify: - Biologic males or females - 18 - 99 years of age - diagnosed by tissue sample (biopsy-confirmed) cutaneous melanoma, Merkel cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, or other cutaneous malignancy for which lymphoscintigraphy and sentinel lymph node biopsy has been recommended. Who Should NOT Join This Trial: - Known allergy or intolerance to EMLA cream, lidocaine, prilocaine, or any other local anesthetic - History of adhesive allergy - Contraindication to Tc99 injection for sentinel lymph node mapping - Incarcerated patients - Patients incapable of independently providing consent - Mucosal or genital lymphoscintigraphy site - Pregnancy - Participant self-declared or Ohio State University (OSU) medical chart listing chronic pain as a pre-existing diagnosis - Participants with chronic pain as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):"pain lasting 3 months or more that can be caused by a disease or condition, injury, medical treatment, or unknown reason" excluding those with stable co-morbid conditions such as peripheral neuropathy, fibromyalgia, arthritis, and cancer-related pain who do not require narcotics. Patients who require narcotics at any time within the 7-day period leading up to the procedure Always talk to your doctor about whether this trial is right for you.

These are translations of the protocol\'s inclusion and exclusion criteria, simplified for patients and caregivers. The original clinical text appears below. Eligibility is ultimately confirmed by the trial site\'s screening process — this summary is a starting point for a conversation with your doctor, not a final determination.

Original Eligibility Criteria

View original clinical language

Inclusion Criteria: * Biologic males or females * 18 - 99 years of age * Histologically confirmed cutaneous melanoma, Merkel cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, or other cutaneous malignancy for which lymphoscintigraphy and sentinel lymph node biopsy has been recommended. Exclusion Criteria: * Known allergy or intolerance to EMLA cream, lidocaine, prilocaine, or any other local anesthetic * History of adhesive allergy * Contraindication to Tc99 injection for sentinel lymph node mapping * Incarcerated patients * Patients incapable of independently providing consent * Mucosal or genital lymphoscintigraphy site * Pregnancy * Participant self-declared or Ohio State University (OSU) medical chart listing chronic pain as a pre-existing diagnosis * Participants with chronic pain as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):"pain lasting 3 months or more that can be caused by a disease or condition, injury, medical treatment, or unknown reason" excluding those with stable co-morbid conditions such as peripheral neuropathy, fibromyalgia, arthritis, and cancer-related pain who do not require narcotics. Patients who require narcotics at any time within the 7-day period leading up to the procedure

Treatments Being Tested

DRUG

Eutectic Mixture of Local Anesthetics

Apply topically to skin

DRUG

Placebo Administration

Apply topically to skin

OTHER

Questionnaire Administration

Ancillary studies

Locations (1)

Trial sites listed on ClinicalTrials.gov for this study. Site activation status can vary — confirm with the specific site before traveling for a screening visit.

Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center

Columbus, Ohio, United States

How to Talk to Your Doctor About This Trial

Bring the printable summary of this trial — including the NCT ID (NCT06223659), the sponsor (Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center), and the key eligibility criteria — to your next appointment. Your doctor can review the inclusion and exclusion criteria against your medical history, lab values, and current treatments to assess whether you are likely to qualify. They can also help you weigh whether trial participation makes sense alongside your existing care plan.

Useful questions to walk through together: What does the trial protocol require beyond standard care? How long is the active treatment phase, and how long is follow-up? Are there study visits at sites I can reach? Who pays for the trial-specific procedures, and who pays for standard-of-care portions? See our 25 questions to ask about clinical trials guide for a more complete checklist.

Authoritative Sources

The official record for this trial lives on ClinicalTrials.gov — the federal registry maintained by the National Library of Medicine at NIH. For background on how this trial fits into the FDA approval pathway, see the FDA drug approval process. For oncology-specific guidance for patients considering trials, the National Cancer Institute publishes patient-oriented overviews. International trial registries are aggregated by the WHO ICTRP.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the NCT06223659 clinical trial studying?

This phase II trial tests how well EMLA topical cream works in treating pain in patients with skin cancers receiving Technetium 99 injections for a lymphoscintigraphy mapping procedure. A lymphoscintigraphy mapping procedure is used to find the main or lead lymph node (tissue that fight infection) so it can be removed and checked for tumor cells. Using lymphoscintigraphy to highlight and then surgically remove lymph nodes is standard way to treat skin cancer for many patients. The Technetium 99 injections used for lymphoscintigraphy can be briefly painful due to the sensitivity of the nerve en… The full protocol is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov and includes the primary outcome measures, eligibility criteria, and study endpoints.

Who can participate in NCT06223659?

Eligibility for this trial depends on the specific inclusion and exclusion criteria set by the sponsor. The plain-English summary above translates the most important criteria into accessible language; the official clinical text is preserved in the collapsible section underneath. Whether you fit any specific trial is a medical decision your doctor needs to confirm — bring the trial information to your treating physician for a full review against your medical history.

How do I contact the trial site for NCT06223659?

Contact information registered with ClinicalTrials.gov is shown in the sidebar of this page. Before reaching out, confirm with your treating physician that this trial is appropriate for your situation. The trial site will then walk you through the screening process to determine final eligibility.

Is participating in a clinical trial safe?

Clinical trials in the United States are regulated by the FDA and overseen by Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) that review the protocol for safety. Risk varies by trial — Phase 1 studies test new treatments in humans for the first time, while Phase 3 trials use treatments that have already passed earlier safety screening. The informed consent document for any specific trial details the known risks and what to expect. Discuss those risks with your physician before deciding whether to participate.

Where can I verify the data on this page?

Every detail on this page comes directly from the ClinicalTrials.gov API. Click "View on ClinicalTrials.gov" in the sidebar to see the official, unmodified record. The federal record is always authoritative; this page is a structured presentation with a plain-English eligibility translation. For background on how clinical trials are regulated, see the FDA drug approval process documentation.

How This Page Is Built

Every field on this page is pulled directly from the ClinicalTrials.gov API v2 — no estimates, no proxies. The plain-English eligibility translation is generated from the original protocol text and reviewed for fidelity to the underlying clinical criteria. The original clinical text remains visible in the collapsible section above so users and clinicians can verify the translation. Read the full methodology for the data pipeline and known limitations.

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov API v2 record for NCT06223659. Maintained by the National Library of Medicine at NIH. Public domain. Cite as: "TrialFinderData. NCT06223659. Data: ClinicalTrials.gov."

Medical disclaimer: This page is informational, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor about whether a clinical trial is right for you.

Last updated 2026-06-07 · Data from ClinicalTrials.gov.