Blood test to find advanced colon polyps
Blood-Based Testing for Advanced Adenoma
A blood test that looks for signs of advanced colon polyps in people getting colorectal cancer screening.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11190792 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you join, you'll give blood before any polyp removal and at follow-up visits so researchers can search for signs of advanced adenomas. The study collects blood samples and standard clinical and demographic information from people with advanced adenomas and from control participants without them. Labs will use molecular methods like RealSeqS combined with machine-learning tools such as SignaL to look for patterns in the blood linked to pre-cancerous polyps. The goal is to determine whether these blood markers can reliably flag people who may need timely colonoscopy and treatment.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults scheduled for colonoscopy or polypectomy, including people from populations underrepresented in prior studies.
Not a fit: People who cannot visit a participating center, are unwilling to give blood, or do not have advanced adenomas may not directly benefit from participating.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could make it easier to detect pre-cancerous colon polyps earlier and less invasively, potentially reducing future colorectal cancer cases.
How similar studies have performed: Blood tests have shown promise for detecting invasive colorectal cancer, but detecting advanced adenomas with blood markers remains largely unproven and is still being studied.
Where this research is happening
Pittsburgh, United States
- University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh — Pittsburgh, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Schoen, Robert E. — University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
- Study coordinator: Schoen, Robert E.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.