Improving how cancer prevention trials are approved, enrolled, and translated
Official title: Improving the Processes around Approval, Accrual and Translational Research in Cancer Prevention Trials
Funded at University of Kansas Medical Center · NIH-11415656 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A clinician-scientist grant at KU Medical Center aims to streamline how cancer interception trials are set up and run to prevent cancers before they fully develop.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Kansas Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Kansas City, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $144,141 |
| NIH project number | 5R50CA285494-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11415656 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults at elevated cancer risk who could participate in prevention/interception trials through KUCC, including those eligible for biomarker- or imaging-guided prevention studies.
✕Less likely to help
People not at risk for cancers or not eligible for prevention/interception trials would not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This grant supports creating and refining processes that help start and manage cancer interception trials—preventing cancer by acting early. It focuses on improving approval timelines, patient accrual, and translational steps to move promising prevention ideas into practice. The work is led by a gastroenterologist physician-scientist who has built KU's GI cancer prevention program and already coordinates biomarker and imaging trials. The project leverages KUCC's Clinical Trials Office and existing prevention, biomarker, and imaging trial infrastructure to accelerate high-quality prevention research that could benefit people at risk for cancer.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could experience faster access to promising prevention trials and earlier opportunities to disrupt cancer pathways before cancer develops.
How similar studies have gone: The program references an established, multi-center prevention trial network and TUCC's ongoing trial activities, suggesting feasibility and potential for success in streamlined processes.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Kansas Medical Center
Kansas City, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bansal, Ajay — University of Kansas Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Bansal, Ajay
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Motor-Cognitive Training for Older Adults at Risk of Dementia
A Phase II trial tests a combined motor and cognitive training program for older adults at risk of dementia to see if it helps daily function and slows dementia onset.
-
MOVE Peds: Moving Toward Better Outcomes for Pediatric FSHD
A study in kids with a rare muscle disease (FSHD) will test how well certain outcomes reflect change and help guide future clinical trials.
-
How DNA methylation changes in our cells affect gene activity
This project studies how chemical changes to DNA, and the way DNA is packaged, influence how genes turn on or off in vertebrate cells.
-
Dietary oxysterols and metabolic dysfunction in the gut-liver axis
Aims to understand how oxidized cholesterol byproducts in processed foods affect gut and liver health, especially in adults with type 2 diabetes or related conditions.
-
Intermittent fasting and blood sugar in adults with diabetes
A study will look at how two forms of intermittent fasting might improve blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes.
-
Dysfunctional fat tissue and its link to fatty liver and diabetes
Researchers are studying how problems in fat tissue contribute to fatty liver disease and type 2 diabetes in adults.
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.