CSPRG Research Studies
The CSPRG conducts several research studies relating to bowel cancer screening and diagnosis, many of which have been running for several years. This section summarises our studies including when they ran, the types of patients involved, and the results. It also provides links to the individual study pages where you can find more detail.
GEM Study
Who are involved? Currently recruiting patients undergoing endoscopy testing who are found to have certain pre-cancerous stomach lesions.
Locations: Up to three participating hospitals in England
Dates: Recruitment began mid-2024.
Lynch Syndrome Registry Pilot Study
Who are involved? Currently recruiting participants who have previously taken part in the CaPP3 trial.
Locations: Four participating hospitals in England.
Dates: Recruitment began November 2022.
UKFSST Trial
Who were involved? 375,744 men and women who were 55 to 64 years of age between November 1994 and March 1999, registered at a participating GP practice, were sent an initial questionnaire or letter. Of these, 170,432 men and women were randomised and either assigned to receive flexible sigmoidoscopy screening or the usual care that was offered at the time of the trial.
Locations: 506 GP practices based in 14 UK centres: 11 in England, two in Wales, and one in Scotland.
Dates: Registered between November 1994 and March 1999. Follow-up on-going.
IA and AA Studies
Who were involved? Retrospective data on clinical and pathology results of bowel examinations, collected on approximately 250,000 men and women from 17 UK hospitals and 10,000 from other screening studies. The IA study focused on individuals determined from the bowel exam to be at intermediate risk of bowel cancer (Intermediate Adenomas). The AA study builds on this to look at patients of all bowel cancer risk levels (All Adenomas).
Locations: UK and abroad.
Dates: Initiated in 2006. Data being analysed.
FIT for Follow-Up Study
Who were involved? 8,009 men and women aged 61 to 70 years who had a positive stool test in the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme and had a large polyp or a few small ones found at subsequent colonoscopy. These patients were told they needed a follow-up colonoscopy at 3 years and were invited to participate in the FIT for Follow-Up study.
Location: England.
Dates: The study began in February 2012. Data being analysed.
SIGGAR Study
Who were involved? 9,218 men and women aged 55 years or over between March 2004 and December 2007 and were referred to one of the participating NHS hospitals with bowel cancer symptoms at the time of the SIGGAR randomised-controlled trial. 8,484 were eligible for the SIGGAR study and of these 5,448 were randomised to receive investigation of their symptoms by CT colonography or usual care.
Locations: 21 NHS hospitals across England.
Dates: Registered between March 2004 and December 2007. Study closed 17 February 2022.
SOCCER Study
Who were involved? Approximately 7,472 men and women who were aged 55 years or over between March 2004 and December 2007 and were referred to one of the participating NHS hospitals with bowel cancer symptoms at the time of the SIGGAR randomised controlled trial.
Locations: 21 NHS hospitals across England.
Dates: Registered between March 2004 and December 2007. Study closed 17 February 2022.
ASCEND
Who were involved? Approximately 750,000 individuals who were invited to take part in the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme in England. Half received one of 4 different sets of information and the other received the usual information.
Location: England.
Dates: Intervention occurred between November 2012 and August 2013.
ASCEND2
Who were involved? Approximately 370,000 individuals who were routinely invited for screening in the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme (BCSP). Participants were randomly allocated either to receive an invitation letter with a GP endorsement or the standard letter sent out at the time by the BCSP without a GP endorsement.
Location: England.
Dates: February to March 2016.