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Virginia health leaders partner with National Cancer Research Institute for groundbreaking cancer research

Three Virginia health systems together will serve as one of eight groups in the U.S. to conduct research for the Cancer Screening Research Network.

NORFOLK, Va. — Groundbreaking research is soon to be underway to better understand and treat all forms of cancer.

Three Virginia health systems together will serve as one of eight groups in the U.S. to conduct research for the Cancer Screening Research Network. This includes Hampton Roads' own Sentara Health, the Sentara Health Research Center and academic partner Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS).

"Who knows what we will find?" said Cindy Allen, the administrative director for Sentara Health Research Center. "We may be leading to new guidelines, new standards of care."

Allen said the network will be the first of its kind to be done on this large of a scale, focusing specifically on cancer screenings.

Clinicians will perform cancer screening as part of their routine practice, and the screening methods may be different. This includes imaging, biomarkers and even new tests.

Dr. John Sayles, a colorectal surgeon with Sentara Medical Group, said the goal is to detect cancers in the early stages.

"We're looking for the DNA changes and different mutations," said Sayles. "If we find it in the very earliest stages where the tumor has already started to change the DNA, and if we can find that early, then we can cure it."

The first study will be called the Vanguard Study. It will enroll up to 24,000 people ages 45 to 70 to inform the design of a much larger randomized controlled trial. This involves about 225,000 people to evaluate the benefits and harms of these multi-cancer detection tests. 

In Virginia, the three chosen health organizations will investigate the effectiveness of two liquid biopsy tests compared to standard cancer screening care and evaluate whether primary care settings can feasibly incorporate them into their routine practice.

Already there is an emphasis on gathering information from diverse populations not only in Virginia but across the nation to get a more accurate picture.

"I implore people to if they get invited to be a part of this type of study to really feel free to join it, it's going to be a wonderful study and as many people, in diverse populations that we can get is the best thing for it," said Sayles.

A date has not been set yet for when the Vanguard study will officially launch. 

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