A study looking at the genetic causes of bowel (colorectal) cancer (NSCCG)

This national study is trying to find out more about how a family history of the disease can increase people's risk of bowel cancer.

There are several different factors that can increase risk of developing bowel (colorectal) cancer. One is an inherited faulty gene (genetic mutation).

An inherited genetic mutation may mean that several people in the same family develop bowel cancer. This is called a strong family history’. Inherited conditions such as familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) or hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) also increase risk.

The increase in risk will depend on which gene is damaged, or even on which part of the gene is damaged. Some genetic mutations are ‘high penetrance’ and increase risk a lot. Others are ‘low penetrance’ and don’t increase risk very much.

The aim of this study is to find out more about high penetrance genes, and how much they increase risk. And to look for new low penetrance genes.

Please note that the research team will write to patients and ask them to take part. You cannot volunteer for this trial.

Recruitment

Start 01/08/2003

End 30/09/2015

Phase

Other

Who can enter

You can enter this trial if you

Have been diagnosed with bowel cancer in the last 5 years
Have had surgery for bowel cancer
Are under 70 years old at diagnosis
Are invited to take part

Trial design

This study will recruit 30,000 patients with bowel cancer. If you are eligible to take part, the research team may ask you if you would like to join the study.

If you agree, they will send you a questionnaire to fill out and send back. This will ask you about your family’s medical history. You will also need to give a blood sample. Your GP or practice nurse can do this.

The research team also need to recruit 20,000 people that haven’t been diagnosed with bowel cancer. They will be the ‘control’ group. The research team will ask you to provide the name of friend or someone you are related to by marriage only. Like you, they will fill out the questionnaire and give a blood sample.

The research team would like to look at the sample of your cancer that was kept by the hospital when you had your surgery. Doing new research on this will help them find out more about the genetic faults that may increase risk of bowel cancer.

Hospital visits

You will need to go to the GP surgery or outpatient department to give a blood sample. But apart from that, you won’t have to make any extra trips to the hospital as a result of taking part in this trial.

Side effects

There are no treatments in this trial. You may get a small bruise where your blood sample is taken, but apart from that there aren’t any side effects.