The Vanguard Study: Testing a New Way to Screen For Cancer
What if there was a simple blood test that could detect and screen for multiple cancers at once?
This is what researcher's across the country are trying to learn in the Vanguard Study! We are looking for people 45 to 75 years old, not currently or recently undergoing cancer treatment to participate in a study looking at a new type of blood test, called a Multi-Cancer Detection (MCD) test, that could help find cancer early - before symptoms appear.
Be a part of something big by enrolling in the Vanguard Study today so you can help improve cancer screenings for everyone!
Where is the Study Happening?
The Vanguard study will take place across nine enrollment Hubs across the U.S. These locations bring together doctors, hospitals, and research teams to find and enroll people from different communities who are eligible to take place in the study. The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center is not an enrollment site for this study.
Who's Making the Blood tests?
The Vanguard Study will include two MCD tests:
- Avantect MCD Test by ClearNote Health, headquartered in San Diego, California
- Shield™ MCD Test by Guardant Health, headquartered in Palo Alto, California
Multi-cancer detection (MCD) tests in this study are designed to detect biological substances released into the bloodstream by cancers cells. Each MCD test screens for several kinds of cancers. No MCD tests screen for every type of cancer. The MCD tests in this study will screen for the following cancers: Bladder, breast, colorectal, esophageal, stomach, liver, lung, ovarian, pancreatic, and prostate.
It is important to know that as cancer screening tests, MCDs are not perfect. This means sometimes a test will come back abnormal (or positive) when in fact there is not cancer. In other cases, the MCD test will read negative when cancer is present. When a test comes back abnormal (or positive), further testing will be needed to find out if cancer is present.
Connect with a local research team in your region to learn more.
This study is the first part of a larger plan to evaluate how well MCD tests work for adults eligible for cancer screening across the United States. To be successful as a screening test, people must be able to access the test, get results in a timely fashion, and receive appropriate follow-up tests when there is an abnormal result. Our goal is to learn more about MCD tests and find out if they can help people find cancer early when it may be easier to treat.
- Ages 45-75 years old.
- Do not currently have a cancer diagnosis and have not received a cancer diagnosis within the past 5 years.
- Willing to give blood samples at enrollment and after 1 year.
- Understand and be able to complete study documents in English, Spanish, or Arabic.
- Allow the research team to review their medical record information.
- Not currently breastfeeding, pregnant, or planning to become pregnant within the next year.
- Not currently participating in another study testing a new cancer screening method or technology.
Connect with a local research team in your region.
All participants provide a blood sample at enrollment and 1 year after enrollment. Two study groups will have their blood tested using an MCD test and one group will not have their blood tested with an MCD test. Everyone will also fill out 3 questionnaires: at enrollment, 1 year after enrollment and 2 years after enrollment. Some participants will also be asked to fill out a questionnaire approximately 3 months after enrollment and 15 months after enrollment.
Connect with a local research team in your region to discuss their enrollment process.
Fred Hutch is not enrolling participants for this study.
To find an enrollment site, please use this map to locate and connect with a local research team in your region.
Yes, we encourage you to continue receiving your usual medical care and currently recommended cancer screenings for you while in the study. Participating in this study will not impact your ability to receive medical care.
Connect with a local research team in your region to discuss your situation further.
Participating in this study does not replace regular cancer screening. It is important to continue with regularly recommended cancer screening.