Clinical trials

As part of a multidisciplinary cancer screening program that is being conducted by the Saville Cancer Screening and Prevention Center and Department of Occupational Health within the Inova Health System, the purpose of this research study is to generate preliminary data on the clinical impact of investigational cancer screening modalities in career and volunteer firefighters.

Aims include evaluating the clinical impact and performance of cancer detection tools, the diagnostic follow-up and healthcare utilization prompted by use of each investigational tool, and assessments of anxiety and feasibility of implementation related to the screening protocols in participants. It is anticipated that results from this pilot will support the development of future firefighter cancer screening programs and serve as a research framework that can be adopted and tested within other health systems in partnership with the local fire jurisdictions in their catchment area, with the ultimate goal of identifying the risks and benefits of these tools for early cancer detection in the firefighter population.

This study receives partial funding from the Virginia Department of Health.

This study is being done to answer the following question:
How do two new types of blood screening tests for cancer, called multi-cancer detection (MCD) tests work for people who are eligible to be screened for cancer?
This study is the first part of a larger plan to evaluate how well these MCD tests work across different communities in the United States, for detecting a number of different cancers.

The current research surrounding the short- and long-term effects of burn pit exposure and its association with various cancers is limited. The primary objectives of this pilot study are:  1) determine the feasibility and participant satisfaction associated with a more intensive cancer screening regimen in this population; 2) describe the clinical and psychosocial impact such screening has on this potential population; and 3) describe the premalignant and malignant findings identified and follow-up healthcare utilization associated with high-intensity cancer screening during the approximately 3-year study period (three annual screening assessments and an additional year of follow-up to determine participants' cancer status). As an exploratory objective, we will also describe the performance of novel investigative tools (nasal brush, multi-cancer detection blood test, and radiomic analysis) in detecting the development of malignancies during the study period.