Northwestern program testing new ways to prevent cancer
Northwestern Cancer Prevention Consortium
['FUNDING_OTHER'] · NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY · NIH-11223774
This program tests early-phase prevention approaches—like vaccines and biomarker-guided drugs—for people at higher risk of cancer.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_OTHER'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (CHICAGO, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11223774 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
Northwestern leads a multi-site network that designs and runs early-phase clinical trials to try new cancer prevention strategies. They are testing approaches such as multivalent adenovirus vaccines for people with Lynch syndrome and using biomarkers like breast density to personalize tamoxifen dosing for high-risk premenopausal women. The consortium partners with medical centers across the U.S. and Puerto Rico to enroll diverse participants and provide oversight, protocol development, and administrative support. Most trials are small, early-stage studies that require visits to participating centers for treatment, monitoring, and biomarker testing.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people at elevated risk for specific cancers—such as individuals with Lynch syndrome or premenopausal women with high breast density—who can attend visits at participating centers.
Not a fit: People without elevated cancer risk or those already living with advanced active cancer are unlikely to benefit from prevention-focused trials and may not be eligible.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, these trials could lower cancer risk and lead to personalized prevention options for people with inherited or other high-risk conditions.
How similar studies have performed: The consortium has completed 26 trials with over 1,000 participants and used biomarkers successfully in past prevention work, though some approaches like multivalent adenovirus vaccines are novel and less tested in humans.
Where this research is happening
CHICAGO, UNITED STATES
- NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY — CHICAGO, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: KHAN, SEEMA AHSAN — NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
- Study coordinator: KHAN, SEEMA AHSAN
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.
Conditions: Advanced Cancer