Helping childhood cancer survivors and their primary care doctors increase colorectal cancer screening
The ASPIRES Study: Activating Cancer Survivors and their Primary Care Providers to Increase Colorectal Cancer Screening
A remote digital program will help childhood cancer survivors aged 30 and older and their primary care doctors get recommended colorectal cancer screening.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11326096 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would join a remote program aimed at survivors who had abdominal or pelvic radiation as children and are now at least 30 years old. People will be randomly placed into one of three groups receiving different digital prompts and support: patient-focused activation, patient plus primary care provider activation, or usual care. The study plans to enroll about 315 survivors and uses messages, tools, and follow-up to encourage colonoscopy or stool-based testing when appropriate. The team tracks whether participants complete recommended colorectal cancer screening and follow-up care.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults aged 30 or older who survived childhood cancer and received abdominal or pelvic radiotherapy, especially those not up-to-date with colorectal cancer screening, are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: This would likely not help people under age 30, survivors who did not have abdominal/pelvic radiation, or those already current with recommended colorectal screening.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could raise colorectal cancer screening rates and help detect precancerous polyps or cancer earlier in high-risk survivors.
How similar studies have performed: Digital patient-activation programs have improved screening in other populations, but this is the first trial testing this specific approach for childhood cancer survivors at high colorectal cancer risk.
Where this research is happening
Chicago, United States
- Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago — Chicago, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Henderson, Tara Olive — Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago
- Study coordinator: Henderson, Tara Olive
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.