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Principal Investigator
Name
Hilary Robbins
Degrees
PhD MHS MSPH
Institution
International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)
Position Title
Scientist
Email
About this CDAS Project
Study
PLCO (Learn more about this study)
Project ID
PLCO-456
Initial CDAS Request Approval
Feb 20, 2019
Title
Evaluating the Potential for Biomarker Use in CT Screening
Summary
At IARC, we are part of a large NCI-funded program (U19CA203654) evaluating the potential for genetic and blood-based biomarkers to improve multiple aspects of the lung cancer screening process. Specifically, we aim to assess whether one or more blood-based biomarkers could improve a) selection of ever-smokers into screening or b) management of nodules detected on CT.

We would like to analyze data from the PLCO in various ways to help us understand whether use of biomarkers could improve the lung cancer screening process. These include validating existing lung cancer risk models and estimating individual risk in the absence of screening, modelling potential cost-effectiveness of incorporating biomarkers into screening, and comparing NLST screening to other CT screening studies. This application is in conjunction with our previously approved application for the use of data from the NLST, as we plan some analyses that will consider data from the two trials jointly.

This project will leverage prior metabolomics results obtained from PLCO samples as part of the first project of the Lung Cancer Cohort Consortium (LC3). We have incorporated the PLCO baseline data, lung cancer incidence and outcomes from active follow-up, and these metabolomics results into a large harmonized database include over 20 cohorts from around the world. An important aspect will be sharing this database via remote access for researchers with approved proposals. These researchers will include individuals working within the LC3 as well as outside of it.

Beyond lung cancer screening, our group also has emerging interests in multi-cancer early detection (MCED) tests, including how to design randomized trials that can accurately quantify their potential benefits and harms. To this end, we are also interested in analyzing PLCO data for cancer types other than lung cancer.
Aims

1. Develop and validate risk models to calculate individual risk of lung cancer during screening;
2. Evaluate the potential cost-effectiveness of incorporating biomarker testing into the CT screening process;
3. Compare key aspects of the NLST and PLCO screening processes to those from other screening studies. This will include lung cancer but also additional cancer types, including prostate, colorectal, and ovarian cancers. We will compare trial aspects including stage- and mortality-based endpoints, as well as overdiagnosis.
4. Continue to leverage the metabolomics biomarker measurements from the first LC3 project (EEMS-2010-0043) to explore lung cancer etiology and risk.
5. Advance data sharing by providing secure, remote access to PLCO data to bona-fide researchers with proposals approved by the Lung Cancer Cohort Consortium.

Collaborators

Mattias Johansson, IARC
Paul Brennan, IARC
Florence Guida, IARC
Karine Alcala, IARC
Ryan Langdon, IARC
Xiaoshuang Feng, IARC
Hana Zahed, IARC
Justina Onwuka, IARC