Head to Head Pilot Trial of Mailed Cologuard to Mailed FIT

April 20, 2026 updated by: Joshua Demb, PhD, MPH, University of California, San Diego

Comparative Effectiveness Pilot Trial of Mailed Cologuard Outreach to Mailed FIT Outreach

The objective of this pilot study is to compare the effectiveness of mailed outreach of two stool based tests, Cologuard and the fecal immunochemical test (FIT) in screening eligible adults ages 45-49 receiving care at the University of California San Diego Health system.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Adults ages 45-49 who are insured, deemed average risk and not currently up to date with colorectal cancer screening will be enrolled. Eligible participants will be randomized to either mailed Cologuard outreach, facilitated by Exact Sciences or mailed FIT outreach. Colorectal cancer screening completion within 3 months will be measured as the primary outcome, in addition to secondary recruitment and intervention-based feasibility outcomes to demonstrate the potential for a larger randomized controlled trial.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
12

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • United States
    • California
      • La Jolla, California, United States, 92126
        • University of California San Diego

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Adults ages 45-49 with EHR documentation indicating that the patient has an assigned primary care provider at UCSD Health
  • ≥1 UCSD Health System health visit within the last year
  • Resides in San Diego or Imperial County
  • Currently not up to date with CRC screening
  • Insured by private, public or other health insurance.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Up-to-date with screening
  • Prior history of colonic disease, including inflammatory bowel disease, one or more colorectal neoplastic polyps (i.e., adenomas) or colorectal cancer.
  • Prior history of colectomy
  • Lack of health insurance

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Screening
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Mailed Cologuard Outreach
Receipt of mailed Cologuard test for colorectal cancer screening to be completed and returned by participant. If test is negative, participant will be advised to undergo another test in 3 years. If test is positive, participant will be advised to schedule colonoscopy for further testing.
Diagnostic test: Cologuard
Multi-target stool DNA test for colorectal cancer screening implemented by Exact Sciences. Cologuard has 94% sensitivity and 87% specificity to detect colorectal cancer.
Active Comparator: Mailed Fecal immunochemical test Outreach
Receipt of mailed FIT for colorectal cancer screening to be completed and returned by participant. If test is negative, participant will be advised to undergo another test in 1 year. If test is positive, participant will be advised to schedule colonoscopy for further testing.
Diagnostic test: Fecal Immunochemical Test
Stool blood test for colorectal cancer screening. FIT has 75% sensitivity and 90% specificity to detect colorectal cancer.
Other Names:
  • OC-Sensor Test

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Number of Participants Completing Colorectal Cancer Screening
Time Frame: Within 3 months of randomization
The number of participants who complete any colorectal cancer screening test recommended by US Preventive Services Task Force (colonoscopy, FIT, Cologuard, Sigmoidoscopy or CT Colonography)
Within 3 months of randomization
Number of Participants With Abnormal Stool Blood Test Results
Time Frame: Within 3 months of randomization
Among those completing designed interventions (Cologuard or FIT), the number of participants with test results yielding an abnormal result.
Within 3 months of randomization
Number of Participants Completing Follow-up Colonoscopy After Abnormal Stool Blood Test Result
Time Frame: Within 6 months after stool blood test completion
Among those with positive stool blood test results, the number of participants who complete diagnostic follow-up colonoscopy
Within 6 months after stool blood test completion
Number of Participants With Assigned Screening Test Successfully Ordered
Time Frame: Within 3 months of randomization
Number of randomized participants for whom the assigned screening test order was successfully placed within the study period.
Within 3 months of randomization

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Number of Participants Opting Out of the Pilot
Time Frame: Within 3 months of randomization
Measurement of feasibility of pilot to retain participants for the duration of study follow-up
Within 3 months of randomization
Number of Adenomas Detected
Time Frame: Within 6 months after screening test completion
Number of participants with adenomas detected during study period
Within 6 months after screening test completion
Number of Sessile Serrated Lesions Detected
Time Frame: Within 6 months after screening test completion
Number of participants with sessile serrated lesions detected during study period
Within 6 months after screening test completion
Number of Participants With Colorectal Cancer Detected
Time Frame: Within 6 months after screening test completion
Number of participants diagnosed with colorectal cancer during the study period
Within 6 months after screening test completion
Number of Participants With Undeliverable FIT or Cologuard Tests (Mail Fail Rate)
Time Frame: Within 3 months of randomization
The number of participants who consented to participate who were intended to be mailed a FIT or Cologuard test, but the test was found to be undeliverable.
Within 3 months of randomization

Other Outcome Measures

Other Outcome Measures

For clinical trials, a planned measurement described in the protocol that is used to determine the effect of an intervention/treatment on participants. For observational studies, a measurement or observation that is used to describe patterns of diseases or traits, or associations with exposures, risk factors, or treatment. Types of outcome measures include primary outcome measure and secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Number of Participants Who do Not Consent to Participate
Time Frame: Within one month of invitation
Measurement of opt-in strategy prior to randomization to determine feasibility of recruitment strategy
Within one month of invitation

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University of California, San Diego

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Joshua Demb, PhD, Postdoctoral Researcher

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
May 15, 2024

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
December 31, 2024

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
December 31, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
December 7, 2023

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
December 7, 2023

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
December 15, 2023

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
May 12, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 20, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 803124

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

Yes

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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