Prospective Multicenter Cohort Study of Clinical and Molecular Biomarkers in Colorectal Cancer

October 28, 2026 updated by: Vorarlberg Institute for Vascular Investigation and Treatment

Prospective Cohort Study to Investigate Clinical Factors and Molecular Biomarkers Associated With Treatment Response and Disease Outcomes in Patients With Colorectal Cancer in Vorarlberg, Austria

This prospective, multicenter observational study aims to identify clinical and molecular biomarkers associated with treatment response, disease recurrence, progression, and survival in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC).

Approximately 200 adult patients undergoing surgical resection for CRC will be enrolled and followed for up to five years. Tumor tissue and blood samples will be collected for molecular analyses, and clinical data will be recorded longitudinally to investigate associations between biomarkers and disease outcomes.

All treatment decisions will follow standard clinical practice and will not be influenced by study participation.

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Detailed Description

Colorectal cancer is a heterogeneous disease characterized by substantial variability in tumor biology, treatment response, and clinical outcomes. The identification of reliable molecular biomarkers may improve risk stratification, facilitate the detection of disease recurrence, and support the development of personalized treatment strategies.

This prospective, multicenter observational cohort study aims to establish a longitudinal biobank of biological specimens linked to comprehensive clinical data from patients with colorectal cancer undergoing surgical treatment.

Biological specimens, including tumor tissue, adjacent non-malignant tissue, and peripheral blood, will be collected and stored for molecular and biochemical investigations. Serial blood sampling during follow-up will enable the investigation of longitudinal changes in circulating biomarkers and their potential association with disease progression, treatment response, and clinical outcomes.

Planned research activities include molecular characterization of tumor tissue, analysis of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), investigation of tumor-associated genetic alterations, gene expression profiling, and measurement of circulating biomarkers. Where feasible, patient-derived tumor cells may also be isolated and cultured for exploratory investigations.

Clinical information, including tumor characteristics, treatment modalities, and disease course, will be documented prospectively and linked to the collected biological specimens. This integrated approach will enable the investigation of associations between molecular characteristics, longitudinal biomarker dynamics, and clinical outcomes.

The study is intended to provide a comprehensive research resource for identifying and validating prognostic and predictive biomarkers in colorectal cancer. All diagnostic and therapeutic decisions will be made according to routine clinical practice and will not be influenced by study participation.

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

200

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 Backup

Study Locations

  • Austria
    • Vorarlberg
      • Bregenz, Vorarlberg, Austria, 6900
        • Recruiting
        • Landeskrankenhaus Bregenz
        • Contact:
          • Claudius Falch, MD
      • Feldkirch, Vorarlberg, Austria, 6800
        • Recruiting
        • Landeskrankenhaus Feldkirch
        • Contact:
          • Jürgen Parzefall, MD
        • Contact:
          • Markus Weigl, MD
      • Hohenems, Vorarlberg, Austria, 6845
        • Active, not recruiting
        • Landeskrankenhaus Hohenems
      • Rankweil, Vorarlberg, Austria, 6830
        • Active, not recruiting
        • Landeskrankenhaus Rankweil

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

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

The study population consists of adult patients (aged 18 years or older) diagnosed with colorectal cancer who undergo surgical resection at participating hospitals in Vorarlberg, Austria. Patients will be consecutively recruited irrespective of tumor stage (UICC I-IV) or planned neoadjuvant or adjuvant treatment. All participants must provide written informed consent. Clinical data and biological samples will be collected prospectively, and patients will be followed for up to five years after surgery.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age ≥18 years.
  • Histologically confirmed colorectal carcinoma.
  • Planned surgical resection of the primary colorectal tumor.
  • Written informed consent to participate in the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Age <18 years.
  • Pregnancy.
  • Individuals held in custody by order of a court or public authority.
  • Known current alcohol and/or illicit drug abuse that, in the investigator's judgment, may compromise participant safety and/or compliance.
  • Inability to understand and sign the informed consent form.

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

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Overall Survival (OS)
Time Frame: Up to 5 years after surgical resection

Overall survival (OS) is defined as the time from surgical resection of colorectal cancer to death from any cause. Patients who are alive at the end of the follow-up period will be censored at the date they were last known to be alive.
Up to 5 years after surgical resection

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Disease-Free Survival (DFS)
Time Frame: Up to 5 years after surgical resection

Disease-free survival (DFS) is defined as the time from achievement of a disease-free state following curative-intent treatment to the first documented recurrence of colorectal cancer or death from any cause, whichever occurs first. DFS will be assessed in patients with no evidence of residual disease following treatment, including patients with completely resected metastatic disease. Patients without an event will be censored at the date of their last available disease assessment.
Up to 5 years after surgical resection
Progression-Free Survival (PFS)
Time Frame: Up to 5 years after surgical resection

Progression-free survival (PFS) is defined as the time from surgical resection to the first documented disease progression or death from any cause, whichever occurs first. PFS will be assessed in patients with residual or metastatic colorectal cancer following surgery. Patients without an event will be censored at the date of their last available disease assessment.
Up to 5 years after surgical resection

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Vorarlberg Institute for Vascular Investigation and Treatment

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Thomas Winder, MD, PhD, Landeskrankenhaus Feldkirch
  • Study Director: Axel Muendlein, PhD, Vorarlberg Institute for Vascular Investigation and Treatment

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)

October 23, 2023

Primary Completion (Estimated)

October 1, 2028

Study Completion (Estimated)

October 1, 2033

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

October 28, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

October 28, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

November 3, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

November 3, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

October 28, 2026

Last Verified

October 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • DK-24-05-2023

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

IPD Plan Description

No formal plan for sharing individual participant data (IPD) with external researchers has been established. Any future data sharing will be subject to applicable data protection regulations, ethical requirements, and appropriate data-sharing agreements. Study results will be published in aggregated form.

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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