Colon cancer screening based on your life expectancy
Improving colorectal cancer screening decisions through consideration of life expectancy
This project tries a new way to help doctors and patients decide whether adults over 75 should get colon cancer screening by using estimated life expectancy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Cleveland Clinic Lerner Com-Cwru NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Cleveland, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11252600 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you're an older adult, researchers will help clinicians use life-expectancy estimates alongside your health and preferences to guide colorectal cancer screening decisions. The project will compare usual care to approaches that give doctors and patients clearer information about expected benefits and harms over the next 10–15 years. Methods likely include working with primary care clinics (cluster randomization), training clinicians, and tracking screening choices and outcomes. The team will look at who gets screened, complications from procedures, and whether decisions match patients' health goals.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are average-risk adults aged about 76–85 and their clinicians who are weighing whether to continue colorectal cancer screening.
Not a fit: People younger than routine screening age, those at high genetic or medical risk for colorectal cancer, or those with a life expectancy under about 10 years are unlikely to benefit from this approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could reduce unnecessary colonoscopies for people unlikely to benefit while ensuring healthier older adults who may benefit are offered screening.
How similar studies have performed: Some decision aids and prognostic tools exist for other screening decisions, but using life-expectancy estimates to guide colorectal cancer screening in older adults has limited trial evidence and is still emerging.
Where this research is happening
Cleveland, United States
- Cleveland Clinic Lerner Com-Cwru — Cleveland, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Martinez, Kathryn Anne — Cleveland Clinic Lerner Com-Cwru
- Study coordinator: Martinez, Kathryn Anne
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.