Which test is best?

Which test is best? A randomised controlled trial to evaluate family history as a triage tool in screening for colorectal cancer
2010-2014

Funded by Cancer Australia Priority-driven Collaborative Cancer Research Scheme, $556,250

Lyndal Trevena1, Bettina Meiser2, Kristine Barlow-Stewart3, Judy Kirk4, Timothy Dobbins1, Annabel Goodwin5 (AI Danielle Mazza6).

  1. School of Public Health, The University of Sydney
  2. Prince of Wales Clinical School, The University of New South Wales
  3. Genetic Medicine, Northern Clinical School, The University of Sydney
  4. Westmead Millennium Institute for Medical Research, The University of Sydney
  5. Concord Clinical School, The University of Sydney
  6. Department of General Practice, Monash University

There has been little effort to systematically screen individuals for colorectal cancer (CRC) according to their familial risk, resulting in a trend toward risk-inappropriate screening. The study aims to evaluate the utility of an online CRC family history risk tool in assisting GP triage to improve the uptake of risk-appropriate referral for CRC screening. Phase one of this study piloted this risk tool, which was modified to improve usability for participants. The tool is now being implemented in a large clustered randomised controlled trial with participants from general practices divided into the intervention (the online CRC familial risk tool plus 12 month follow-up) and control group (12 month follow-up, followed by the online CRC familial risk tool).