Colorectal Cancer
Colorectal cancer research covers the whole path, from finding cancer earlier to choosing treatment by the genes of the tumor.
What research in this area looks at
Colorectal cancer starts in the colon or the rectum, often from a growth called a polyp that changes over years. When it is found early, surgery alone can be enough. When it has spread, treatment is chosen more and more by testing the tumor itself.
Studies look at blood tests that may find cancer earlier, ways to spare some people from surgery or radiation, medicines matched to changes in the tumor, and support for life after treatment, including diet and exercise.
Kinds of study you will come across
Listings in this area usually fall into one of these. A single study can sit in more than one.
Screening studies
Compare blood and stool tests with colonoscopy for finding cancer early.
Rectal cancer studies
Test whether some people can safely avoid surgery or radiation.
Tumor-matched treatment
Choose a medicine by a specific change found in the tumor.
After treatment
Look at exercise, diet and follow-up testing once treatment ends.
What visits can include
- Colonoscopy or other scope exams at set points
- CT or MRI scans to measure the cancer
- Blood tests, including markers that track the cancer
- Chemotherapy or other treatment given at a clinic or taken at home
- Diaries about bowel habits, appetite and energy
What to have ready before you call
- Your pathology report and any tumor testing results
- The dates and type of surgery, if you have had it
- A list of treatments so far
- Contact details for your oncologist or surgeon
Questions worth asking a study team
Write them down before the first call. The team has heard each one many times and expects them.
Does the study need a fresh biopsy, or can it use the sample I already gave?
How does the schedule fit around surgery or radiation I may need?
What follow-up tests continue after treatment ends?
Can I take part if I have a stoma?
Only the study team can say whether a study would take you. Talk to your own doctor before deciding. In an emergency, call 911.
Stay updated on colorectal cancer research
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