C A NC E R RESEARC H
Audrey H. Calderwood, MD, MS, is the director of the Comprehensive Gastroenterology Center at Dartmouth-Hitchcock, and associate professor of medicine at Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth and The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice (TDI)
FUELING SCIENCE THAT WILL CHANGE THE WORLD Research team paves the way with a $32.7 million award for its study on colorectcal cancer prevention in older adults A research team led by Audrey H. Calderwood, MD, MS, director of the Comprehensive Gastroenterology Center at Dartmouth-Hitchcock, has been awarded a $32.7 million grant by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). This momentous award will fund a large study focused on the prevention of colon cancer in adults 70 and older.
“This study will have an incredible impact and could simplify colorectal cancer screenings by making them more accessible.” said Director of the Norris Cotton Cancer Center, Dr. Steven Leach. “Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in the country, and Dr. Calderwood’s team is working to help change those statistics.”
Dr. Calderwood received Prouty pilot funding in 2017 and 2019 to launch her novel idea which laid the groundwork for this PCORI grant—one of the largest grants Dartmouth cancer researchers have ever received.
Dr. Calderwood’s study proposal was selected by scientists, patients, care partners, and other stakeholders in a highly competitive review process for a PCORI initiative to support large-scale, high-impact comparative effectiveness research trials in a multiphase format allowing for testing and refinement of the study approach.
“We will gather information on important patient-centered outcomes, including satisfaction with and trust in testing, cancer worry, perceived cancer susceptibility and emotional benefits of surveillance,” said Dr. Calderwood. “Results will bring meaningful change in the delivery of colorectal cancer prevention for older adults by evaluating a safe and convenient alternative to colonoscopy.” Thanks to institutional foresight, Dr. Calderwood was one of six members of the first cohort in the DartmouthHitchcock Cancer Faculty Fellows Program, designed through the Cancer Center’s 2018 strategic plan for cancer research career enhancement. The program included a $1 million per year investment to fund 40% protected time over three years to pursue cancer-focused research.
4 TheProuty.org
Co-investigators on the study include Douglas J. Robertson, MD, MPH, chief of Gastroenterology at the White River Junction VA, and professor of medicine at TDI, and Karen E. Schifferdecker, PhD, MPH, director of the Center for Program Design and Evaluation at Dartmouth, and associate professor of community and family medicine at TDI. This exciting study that got started with initial Prouty pilot funding, has the potential to fill an important evidence gap relevant to a range of health care decision-makers, help them better access their care options, and save lives.
