Addressing Colorectal Cancer in South Florida Firefighters

University of Miami

Status: Completed

Conditions: CRC; Colorectal Cancer

Treatments: Other: Septin9 Test; Other: Fecal Immunochemical Test

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05976282

NCI-2023-00172 (Registry Identifier)

20150905

Details and patient eligibility

About

The standard way of screening for colorectal cancer is to have a series of fecal blood tests, where a sample is taken from a participant's stool, or an endoscopic procedure performed by a doctor, where a camera is used to look inside the bowel. This research study will use a test performed by the participant. This test will look for changes in the stool that can identify if participants are at higher risk for cancer.

Another aim of this study is to better understand what firefighters and retired firefighters think about colorectal cancer and other health issues. This information will help us develop programs that may improve colorectal cancer outcomes in the firefighter community.

Enrollment: 646 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 40 to 65 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• For this study, participation is open to active and retired firefighters:

  1. ≥ 40 and ≤ 65 years of age,
  2. who work or worked in Florida Fire and Rescue departments and
  3. report never having fecal occult blood test (FOBT) or sigmoidoscopy/colonoscopy in their life or only one FOBT in the past year, a sigmoidoscopy in the last 5 years or a colonoscopy in the last 10 years. The research assistant will assess eligibility using a brief screener that will be completed online via RedCAP.

• For years 2 and 3 of the study, the investigators will enroll previously eligible participants who did not complete colorectal cancer (CRC) screening during year 1. The investigators will also enroll participants who completed fecal immunochemical test (FIT) with our study during year 1 and 2. They will be contacted via RedCAP and a follow up phone call at the 1 year mark of their previous screening. Based on national guidelines, FIT screening is suggested on a yearly basis. The eligibility criteria will be the same and participants will sign a revised informed consent form, stating that they understand that they are being re-consented for the same study.

• Participants, ages 50-65 years old, meeting the above criteria who declined the offered standard-of-care FIT will then be offered the blood-based septin9 test 90 days from the initial offering. FDA guidelines require the participant to be at least 50 years old to participate in the septin9 blood collection. The blood based test will be collected by a nurse or certified phlebotomist in the community setting.

Exclusion criteria

• Individuals, who have a personal history of CRC, inflammatory bowel disease (ie, Crohn disease involving the colon or ulcerative colitis) will be excluded from participation as these conditions increase the likelihood of positive test results not associated with the onset or recurrence of CRC disease. Additionally, individuals will be excluded if they are not physically capable of performing the FIT themselves.
• Adults unable to consent
• Individuals who are not yet adults (infants, children, teenagers)
• Pregnant women
• Prisoners

Trial design

Primary purpose: Screening

Allocation: Non-Randomized

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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646 participants in 2 patient groups

FIT Group

Experimental group

Description:

Participants aged 40-65 years will receive the self-administered FIT test by mail including instructions for obtaining and returning their stool specimens. Participants will be in this group for up to 6 months.

Treatment:

Other: Fecal Immunochemical Test

Septin9 Test Group

Experimental group

Description:

Participants aged 50-65 years who declined the initial offer of FIT, will complete a 10-15 minute questionnaire about their personal health, quality of life, and health-related to colorectal cancer including screening history and smoking. Participants will be in this group for up to 6 months.

Treatment:

Other: Septin9 Test