Faster, more reliable cancer biomarker tests

Accelerating biomarker development through novel statistical methods for analyzing phase III/IV studies

NIH-funded research Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center · NIH-11233155

This project creates new statistical tools to speed up and improve cancer biomarker tests used to detect cancer or guide treatment for people at risk or living with cancer.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionFred Hutchinson Cancer Center NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Seattle, United States)
Project IDNIH-11233155 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

Researchers at Fred Hutch are building new statistical methods to make phase III and IV cancer biomarker studies faster, cheaper, and more informative for patients. They will design ways to choose trial endpoints and account for overdiagnosis in screening trials, combine samples from different trial phases, and merge data from diverse patient groups and screening methods. The work focuses on using stored patient samples and real trial data to get better estimates of how tests perform in the real world. The goal is to get reliable biomarker tests to patients sooner while reducing wasted tests and trial costs.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: People who take part in cancer screening or biomarker validation trials, or who have donated samples to those studies, are the most likely to be involved or benefit.

Not a fit: Patients whose cancers or tests are not included in these biomarker projects or who do not participate in screening programs may not see direct benefits.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, patients could get access to accurate biomarker tests sooner, leading to earlier detection, better treatment choices, and fewer unnecessary procedures.

How similar studies have performed: Related statistical and trial-design advances have helped other medical tests move faster, but applying these specific methods to phase III/IV cancer biomarker validation is relatively new.

Where this research is happening

Seattle, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions Cancer DetectionCancer TreatmentCancers
Last reviewed 2026-06-15 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.