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Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial

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Biospecimen Applications

New applications for biospecimens are currently being accepted for the following project types.
Application periods close on the dates indicated at 11:59 PM EST.

The Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial is a randomized, controlled trial to determine whether certain screening exams reduce mortality from prostate, lung, colorectal and ovarian cancer.

Approximately 155,000 participants were enrolled between November 1993 and July 2001. PLCO has the following five ClinicalTrials.gov registration numbers: NCT00002540 (Prostate), NCT01696968 (Lung), NCT01696981 (Colorectal), NCT01696994 (Ovarian), and NCT00339495 (EEMS).

Cancer data collected up to December 31, 2009 and mortality data collected through 2022 for each subject in the PLCO trial are available on this website. Cancers and deaths continue to accrue. At some point in the future, these data will become available. For more information, see https://prevention.cancer.gov/major-programs/prostate-lung-colorectal-and-ovarian-cancer-screening-trial-plco.

Learn About PLCO

Get a detailed description of the trial, explaining how and what data were collected. The main findings of the trial and counts of cancers are available as well.

Learn More about PLCO

Available Datasets

Get detailed documentation of the PLCO data available on this site. Each dataset has a data dictionary, SAS format code, and a user guide.

PLCO Datasets

Submit a PLCO Project Proposal

To gain access to available PLCO data and/or biospecimens, you must submit a project proposal. These are reviewed by NCI. If your project is approved, you will be required to complete a Data Transfer and Use Agreement (and a Material Transfer Agreement, if applicable) before you will be granted access.

Available Project Proposals

There are four types of PLCO projects. Choose one to begin a new project proposal.

Data-Only

PLCO data is available to the general scientific community.

Images

PLCO images and corresponding data are available to the general scientific community.

EEMS (Biospecimens)

Etiologic and Early Marker Studies (EEMS) is the NCI program by which access to biospecimens is granted.

Request Form for Specimen Verification for PAR-25-248

The NCI has issued a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), Utilizing the PLCO Biospecimens Resource to Bridge Gaps in Cancer Etiology and Early Detection Research (PAR-25-248), for soliciting grant applications to utilize the PLCO Biorepository.

Biospecimen Applications

New applications for biospecimens are currently being accepted for the following project types.
Application periods close on the dates indicated at 11:59 PM EST.

Recent PLCO News

Accepting Requests for Specimen Verification for NOFO (PAR-25-248) from December 10, 2025 to January 12, 2026

Jan 9, 2026

More News

Approved Projects

View approved projects that used PLCO data. Project summaries, aims, collaborators and more are available.

Browse 1658 Projects

Publications

Browse the complete list of published articles on PLCO data, including authors, journal names, and more.

Search 1371 Publications