Bundled home self-collection for cervical and colorectal cancer screening
Official title: Effect of Bundling Home-Based Self-Collection for Cervical and Colorectal Cancer Screening: The My Body, My Test-4 Trial
Funded at Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill · NIH-11344260 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study tests whether sending at-home self-collection kits for both cervical and colorectal cancer screening together increases screening for women who are overdue.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chapel Hill, United States) |
| Project start | June 1, 2026 |
| Project end | May 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $645,317 |
| NIH project number | 1R01CA312709-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11344260 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are women overdue for both cervical and colorectal cancer screening and who receive care at the participating Federally Qualified Health Center in North Carolina.
✕Less likely to help
Women who are up-to-date on screening or who do not participate in mailed outreach may not benefit from this approach.
What this research studies
If you’re a woman who hasn’t had regular cervical or colorectal screening, this trial would mail you at-home testing kits for both tests and compare three outreach approaches to see which one leads to more people getting screened. The method uses familiar at-home saliva/collection tests for HPV and fecal tests, with follow-up support to complete and return samples. The goal is to gently remove barriers to screening and help prevent cancer by catching issues earlier. Results will inform more effective outreach that could be used by clinics serving underserved communities.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could lead to higher screening rates and earlier cancer detection for women who are overdue.
How similar studies have gone: Previous mailed outreach increased screening for each cancer separately; this trial tests a novel 2-for-1 bundled approach.
Where this research is happening
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Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Smith, Jennifer Susan — Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Study coordinator: Smith, Jennifer Susan
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Improving colorectal cancer screening and follow-up care.
This study is working to help more people get screened for colorectal cancer and receive the follow-up care they need, especially those who haven't been screened much before, so that everyone can have better access to important health checks and improve their overall health.
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Making colorectal cancer screening easier and more likely to happen
This project uses default options, simpler choices, and direct outreach to help average-risk adults who are overdue complete colorectal cancer screening with colonoscopy or stool tests.
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AI/AN Tailoring of a Home-Based Cervical and Colorectal Cancer Screening Program
A tailored, home-based cancer screening program helps AI/AN adults screen for cervical and colorectal cancer from home using self-collection tests and culturally aligned education.
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Bringing colorectal cancer screening to adults 45–54 who haven’t been screened
A grant to help low-income adults aged 45–54 start colorectal cancer screening through the Boston area’s community health centers.
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Increasing follow-up colonoscopies after a positive FIT in community clinics
Aims to help people with abnormal stool tests for colorectal cancer get timely follow-up colonoscopies in safety-net clinics.
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Colorectal cancer screening with real-time imaging that may replace sedated scopes
Researchers are testing a new imaging method called optical coherence tomography (OCT) to spot and treat colon polyps without the need for sedation during a screening colonoscopy.
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.