How aging, physical function, and health markers relate to recovery after colorectal cancer
Official title: Geriatric assessment domains in relation to treatment outcomes among older adults with colorectal cancer
Funded at Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah · NIH-11306683 · Data updated 2026-11-12
It looks at whether physical function, a short geriatric checklist, and pre-surgery blood markers of aging predict surgery complications and quality of life for older adults with colorectal cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Salt Lake City, United States) |
| Project start | July 15, 2024 |
| Project end | March 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $765,362 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG083580-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11306683 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Older adults (roughly age 70 and above) newly diagnosed with colorectal cancer who are planning surgery or systemic treatment.
✕Less likely to help
Younger people or those without colorectal cancer are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
What this research studies
Researchers will enroll older adults with newly diagnosed colorectal cancer and collect a brief geriatric assessment and tests of physical function before treatment. They will draw blood to measure telomere length, mitochondrial DNA copy number, inflammation, and nutrition markers to create a biological aging score. Study staff will track post-surgery complications, treatment side effects, and patients' quality of life over time. The team will compare these clinical, functional, and biological measures to identify which best signal higher risk and could guide treatment choices.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help doctors personalize cancer treatment for older patients to lower complication rates and maintain quality of life.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research shows geriatric assessments often help predict outcomes in older cancer patients, but combining them with biological aging markers is a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah
Salt Lake City, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hardikar, Sheetal — Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah
- Study coordinator: Hardikar, Sheetal
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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.