Improving Colorectal Cancer Early Screening in Portugal: Identification of Gut Microbiome Biomarkers in Stool (GUTBIOME-PT)

Recruiting now

Conditions studied: Colorectal Cancer Screening, Colorectal Cancer (CRC), Microbiome

In brief

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a major public health problem, responsible for 2 million new cases and almost 1 million deaths annually worldwide. In Portugal, as of 2022, CRC is the most common cancer, with 10,575 new cases reported, and the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality, accounting for 4,809 deaths (approximately 14% of all cancer-related deaths). In recent years, there has been an alarming increase in the incidence and mortality of CRC in people \<50 years of age. Early detection is crucial, as survival rates decline sharply from 90% when detected early to just 10% in advanced stages. Non-invasive diagnostic tests, such as the Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT), have a low sensitivity for early-stage lesions and a high rate of false positives. Therefore, there is an urgent need to improve non-invasive diagnostic methods for the early detection of CRC, as effective screening can prevent it by detecting and removing premalignant lesions. Recent studies suggest that an altered gut microbiota may confer susceptibility to certain types of cancer. Interestingly, the gut microbiota of patients with adenomas or CRC differs from that of healthy individuals. This study aims to identify gut microbiome biomarkers in faecal samples associated with CRC and/or high-risk adenomas to improve early detection.

Key facts

Study ID
NCT06741293
Run by
Gulbenkian Institute for Molecular Medicine
People needed
30000
Starts
2023-11-28
Expected to finish
2029-11-28
Last updated by the study team
2026-05-14

Who can join

Age: 40 and older, up to 74. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: accepted.

You may qualify if…

You may not qualify if…

Where it is running

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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