Liver fat and the risk of colorectal cancer spreading to the liver
Official title: Association between pre-diagnosis hepatic fat infiltration and risk of liver metastasis and mortality in a large cohort of stage I-III colorectal cancer survivors
Funded at Harvard University D/b/a Harvard School of Public Health · NIH-11171604 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether liver fat present when people are diagnosed with stage I–III colorectal cancer is linked to a higher chance the cancer will later spread to the liver.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Harvard University D/b/a Harvard School of Public Health NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | September 23, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $687,694 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA255184-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11171604 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people with stage I–III colorectal cancer who had a CT scan within four months of diagnosis and underwent surgical resection.
✕Less likely to help
People diagnosed with stage IV colorectal cancer at presentation, patients without baseline CT imaging prior to treatment, or those with unrelated cancers are unlikely to benefit directly from this work.
What this research studies
Researchers will measure liver fat from CT scans taken around the time of colorectal cancer diagnosis for thousands of patients in a large Kaiser Permanente cohort. They will compare how often patients with higher versus lower liver fat go on to develop liver metastases or die, using medical records and cancer registry follow-up. Because these CT scans are already part of usual care, the team will use quantitative imaging methods to create a simple biomarker without requiring extra tests. The study uses statistical models to control for other risk factors and estimate whether liver fat independently predicts outcomes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If confirmed, a CT-based measure of liver fat could serve as a safe, low-cost prognostic marker to help tailor follow-up and treatment for colorectal cancer survivors.
How similar studies have gone: Biological studies and smaller observational analyses have suggested links between fatty liver and cancer spread, but using CT-quantified hepatic fat as a clinical prognostic marker for colorectal cancer is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Harvard University D/b/a Harvard School of Public Health
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Giovannucci, Edward — Harvard University D/b/a Harvard School of Public Health
- Study coordinator: Giovannucci, Edward
Related research
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Finding the tumor cells that start colorectal cancer spread
Researchers will look for the specific tumor cell populations that seed liver metastases in people with colorectal cancer who have surgery.
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Blocking alcohol-linked spread of colorectal cancer to the liver
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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.