A vitamin-sized capsule, containing gas sensors, is to be fully developed for assessing the state of health and diagnosing the diseases relevant to gastrointestinal tract. The capsule travels along the tract, transmitting information about the gas species generated by the microorganisms of the gut, which is closely associated with the health of the human under surveillance. The information will be invaluable for diagnostics and adjusting the diet to mitigate and cure the diseases of the guts.
Eradicating Preventable Deaths From Colorectal Cancer - The Beat Bowel Cancer Project.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$100,000.00
Summary
Bowel cancer is the second most common cancer and the second highest cause of cancer death in Australia. It is highly preventable, amenable to population screening and when detected and treated at earlier stages can often be cured. A very large proportion (up to 87%) of the deaths from bowel cancer in South Australia could and should be prevented by applying knowledge we already have. Further progress can be made with scientific advances. This is the focus of the Beat Bowel Cancer Project.
Bowel cancer, the second most diagnosed and cause of cancer death is preventable. Low risk people need no screening or just inexpensive fecal occult blood tests. Increased risk people need the more expensive and invasive colonoscopies. There is overuse of colonoscopy by those at low risk and underuse by those at high risk. Our Centre brings together scientists, epidemiologists and clinicians to develop a personalised risk tool and methods to implement the tool to increase appropriate screening.
A Randomised Controlled Trial Of A Bowel Cancer Screening Decision Aid For Adults With Low Education And Literacy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$237,277.00
Summary
The Commonwealth has committed funds for a national bowel cancer screening program. This will involve mailing bowel testing kits direct to eligible consumers at their homes. To minimise inequalities in accessing screening and to ensure effectiveness of the program, information and instructions for testing will have to be accessible to participants from low as well as high educational backgrounds. This project will evaluate communication strategies to achieve this. Reliance on written information ....The Commonwealth has committed funds for a national bowel cancer screening program. This will involve mailing bowel testing kits direct to eligible consumers at their homes. To minimise inequalities in accessing screening and to ensure effectiveness of the program, information and instructions for testing will have to be accessible to participants from low as well as high educational backgrounds. This project will evaluate communication strategies to achieve this. Reliance on written information has rapidly increased within healthcare. In particular, the use of patient decision aids to support and inform health decisions is rapidly increasing. The need to improve information in screening programs has been particularly highlighted and decision aids provide an evidence based approach to achieve this. However, whilst there is level 1 evidence that decision aids improve the decision making process for consumers, research has been carried out almost exclusively among educated participants with high literacy. There is concern that the needs of adults with low education and limited literacy have been ignored. The proposed study is 2 phased. Phase I will test optimal quantitative risk communication formats for adults with low education and literacy. Phase 2 will evaluate a tailored low literacy decision aid for FOBT screening. The trial will test whether the decision aid can increase knowledge of screening, increase involvement in decisions and improve the quality of decision making among adults with low education, and will examine its impact on screening intentions and behaviour. This is a highly significant study. Screening providers need better ways to inform consumers of screening programs that are accessible to a diverse audience and equitable across the target population. This study will have direct implications for use in the national bowel cancer screening program.Read moreRead less
Re-participation In Screening For Colorectal Cancer: Behavioural Outcomes And Predictors.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$687,438.00
Summary
Screening for bowel cancer (CRC) is an important public health initiative. It is most effective when undertaken regularly but there is little research on what personal factors relate to ongoing participation in a screening program. This study will determine the factors associated with ongoing participation in CRC screening and will lead to better screening programs and improved health benefits. This study directly addresses the Cancer Australia priority area re improving screening programs.
A Novel Multi-gene Marker Blood Test To Increase Community Participation In Colorectal Cancer Screening.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$581,116.00
Summary
Bowel cancer screening programs are vital for early detection and prevention, but participation with the traditional faecal testing mode is less than 35%. Reasons include dislike or unsuitability for faecal testing. These barriers could be overcome and participation could increase using a different sampling mode for the screening test. We have developed a blood test for bowel cancer and will investigate if people who will not screen with the stool test will screen with the blood test instead.
Sexual Function And Psychosocial Wellbeing In Women After Colorectal Cancer
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$307,946.00
Summary
Bowel cancer is the second most common cancer in Australian women. Due to advances in diagnosis and treatment, more women now survive bowel cancer. It is important to address physical, emotional and social issues that arise as a result of diagnosis and treatment to ensure long term quality of life. This project aims to determine the impact of bowel cancer psychological wellbeing and sexual function.