Grant Details
| Grant Number: |
1R01CA301168-01 Interpret this number |
| Primary Investigator: |
O'Neill, Suzanne |
| Organization: |
Georgetown University |
| Project Title: |
Bundled Multicancer Screening and Genetic Services Navigation to Improve Cancer Health Equity Among Black and Hispanic Women |
| Fiscal Year: |
2025 |
Abstract
Despite effective interventions, >65,000 women die each year of breast and colorectal cancer. A disproportionate
number of these deaths occur among non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic women who experience adverse social
determinants of health (SDoH). Addressing patient- and organization-level barriers that limit rates of cancer
screening and genetic testing could improve outcomes and reduce cancer health disparities. Aligning
community-based bilingual navigation with healthcare access points can increase rates of screening and testing,
allowing for referral to accessible and high-quality care. Delivering multicancer screening, risk assessment and
testing in navigation programs in parallel or sequentially via bundling of services could efficiently address primary
and secondary prevention of multiple cancers with less burden to patients and systems. Our pilot work
demonstrates that multicancer screening navigation and familial cancer risk assessment protocols are feasible
and can increase rates of colorectal cancer screening in systems that successfully navigate women to breast
cancer screening. Despite these promising findings, the intensity, complexity, and content of bundling might
decrease feasibility, acceptability and/or effectiveness of individual interventions. Therefore, we now must test
the protocol in a fully-powered trial in generalizable settings as well as test methods that can increase lagging
rates of genetic testing among those referred in this program. We will test the bundling of multicancer prevention
services in two community breast cancer screening navigation programs aligned with NCI-recognized
Comprehensive and Community Cancer Centers. Women will receive familial cancer risk assessment at intake
and be randomized to multicancer (colorectal + breast) vs. single (breast) cancer navigation, using a wait list
control for colorectal cancer screening referral and navigation, stratified by site and genetics referral eligibility.
Participants will be non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic women aged 45-74 referred for community-based breast
cancer screening navigation who also are due for colorectal cancer screening. Primary analyses will be
conducted among those not referred to genetics (N=600) to test effectiveness for colorectal cancer screening
and non-inferiority for breast cancer screening (Aim 1) as well as effect modifiers (Aim 2). We will conduct
exploratory subanalyses among those referred to genetic counseling to test the effect of bundling screening
(multicancer vs. single cancer) and genetic services (usual care referral vs. video and print pre-counseling
education + usual care referral; N=180; Aim 4). We will conduct a multisite mixed-methods organization- and
patient-focused process evaluation, guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (Aim
3). Our expert team will move the field forward by testing innovative, multilevel intervention methods to meet
Cancer Moonshot and national population health goals. This research is responsive to the need for interventions
that expand cancer screening and preventive services for populations that experience health disparities (PAR-
23-170), addressing processes and outcomes at the patient and organization level.
Publications
None