Symptomatic FIT for Colon Cancer Detection, a Pilot Study

November 4, 2026 updated by: Samir Gupta, University of California, San Diego

This pilot study will assess whether a larger study of stool testing for colorectal cancer is practical. It plans to enroll 40 adults born in 1960 or later who have new symptoms that could be related to colorectal cancer. Participants will collect a stool sample at home using a fecal immunochemical test (FIT), complete a questionnaire, and undergo blood tests and colonoscopy as part of their usual medical care. Researchers will compare research FIT results with colonoscopy findings and assess recruitment, sample collection, and completion of study activities. Research FIT results will not routinely be shared with participants or their clinicians. If a research FIT result is abnormal and colonoscopy has not been completed within six months, the study team will notify the primary care provider to encourage colonoscopy follow-up.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

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

This prospective pilot cohort study will evaluate the feasibility of implementing a symptomatic FIT research strategy in the UC San Diego Health system. Recruitment will use electronic health record screening and clinician and patient outreach. Consented participants will provide an at-home stool specimen for research FIT testing and questionnaire data. Usual-care complete blood count, ferritin, and colonoscopy findings will be collected. Feasibility assessments include recruitment, enrollment, stool specimen return, and completion of study activities. Preliminary FIT performance will be assessed against adequate-quality usual-care colonoscopy completed within six months of FIT.

A transition from UCSD laboratory FIT testing to quantitative research FIT testing performed by Polymedco is planned, conditional on IRB approval and execution of the required institutional agreement. Participants using the quantitative FIT kit will mail specimens directly to Polymedco. Specimens and results will be coded by study ID, and the linkage key will remain at UCSD without Polymedco access. The study is supported by a gift from Curebound.

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.
Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

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.
40

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

  • Name: Samir Gupta, MD, MSCS, AGAF
  • Phone Number: 858-822-4499
  • Email: s1gupta@ucsd.edu

Study Locations

  • United States
    • California
      • La Jolla, California, United States, 92037
        • Moores Cancer Center, 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

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

UC San Diego Health primary care patients born in 1960 or later with newly identified signs or symptoms potentially consistent with colorectal cancer. Potential participants will be identified through electronic health record screening and clinician or patient outreach.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Adults 18 years or older, born in 1960 or later.
  • Newly reported signs or symptoms potentially consistent with colorectal cancer: hematochezia, persistent abdominal pain, altered bowel habits (constipation, diarrhea, or narrow stools), unintentional weight loss greater than 5 pounds, or iron deficiency anemia. Symptoms must not have been reported to the primary care provider before the index visit.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Acute symptoms within 14 days requiring urgent evaluation.
  • Up-to-date colorectal cancer screening: colonoscopy within 10 years, sigmoidoscopy within 5 years, FIT within 1 year, or multitarget stool DNA/RNA or cell-free DNA testing within 3 years.
  • Prior colorectal cancer, colorectal resection, hereditary colorectal cancer syndrome (including Lynch syndrome or familial adenomatous polyposis), or inflammatory bowel disease.
  • Documented infectious cause that clinically explains the symptoms. A negative infectious workup or absence of an infectious workup does not exclude participation.
  • Pregnancy.
  • Lack of health insurance for usual-care procedures.

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

  • Observational Models: COHORT
  • Time Perspectives: PROSPECTIVE

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Group / Cohort

A group or subgroup of participants in an observational study that is assessed for biomedical or health outcomes.
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.
Adults with new colorectal cancer-related signs or symptoms

Adults 18 years or older, born in 1960 or later, with newly identified signs or symptoms potentially consistent with colorectal cancer. Participants provide an at-home stool specimen for research FIT testing and complete a questionnaire. Usual-care blood test and colonoscopy findings are collected for comparison.
Diagnostic test: Quantitative fecal immunochemical test

All enrolled subjects will complete a quantitative immunochemical test and reference colonoscopy

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
Enrollment rate
Time Frame: From recruitment opening through the end of recruitment, up to 12 months

Percentage of eligible patients approached who provide informed consent and enroll in the study. Calculated as the number enrolled divided by the number of eligible patients approached, multiplied by 100.
From recruitment opening through the end of recruitment, up to 12 months
Stool sample return rate
Time Frame: From enrollment through completion of participant follow-up, up to 6 months

Percentage of enrolled participants who return a stool specimen for research fecal immunochemical testing. Calculated as the number returning a specimen divided by the number enrolled, multiplied by 100.
From enrollment through completion of participant follow-up, up to 6 months
Completion of study activities
Time Frame: From enrollment through completion of participant follow-up, up to 6 months

Percentage of enrolled participants completing each planned activity: research stool specimen collection, study questionnaire, usual-care blood testing, and usual-care colonoscopy. Completion percentages will be reported separately for each activity, using all enrolled participants as the denominator.
From enrollment through completion of participant follow-up, up to 6 months

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
Advanced neoplasia
Time Frame: At time of colonoscopy completed within 6 months of FIT.

Proportion of patients with advanced neoplasia (advanced adenoma, advanced serrated polyp, or colorectal cancer) at time of colonoscopy.
At time of colonoscopy completed within 6 months of FIT.
Sensitivity for advanced neoplasia
Time Frame: At time of colonoscopy completed within 6 months of FIT.

Proportion of people with advanced neoplasia who have an abnormal FIT (defined at a 4 nanogram/g feces cutoff) . Denominator = # of people with advanced neoplasia; Numerator = # of people with an abnormal FIT
At time of colonoscopy completed within 6 months of FIT.
Specificity for advanced neoplasia
Time Frame: At time of colonoscopy completed within 6 months of FIT.

Proportion of people without advanced neoplasia who have normal FIT (defined at below a 4 nanogram/g feces cutoff) . Denominator = # of people without advanced neoplasia; Numerator = # of people with a normal FIT
At time of colonoscopy completed within 6 months of FIT.

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

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
CUREBOUND, INC.

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: Samir Gupta, MD, MSCS, AGAF, University of California, San Diego

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 (Estimated)

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.
November 2, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

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.
October 31, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

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.
October 31, 2027

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).
November 4, 2026

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.
November 4, 2026

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.
November 10, 2026

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.
November 10, 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.
November 4, 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.
November 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.
  • 814209

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

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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