Lessons learned from the Family Health Promotion Project

Abstract

193 ISSN 1758-194X Colorect. Cancer (2012) 1(3), 193–195 10.2217/CRC.12.25 1Colorado School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology & University of Colorado Cancer Center, 13001 E. 17th Place, Aurora, CO 80045, USA 2Denver VA Medical Center & University of Colorado School of Medicine, 1055 Clermont St., Denver, CO 80220, USA *Author for correspondence: dennis.ahnen@ucdenver.edu The Family Health Promotion Project (FHPP) is a prospective controlled trial designed to test the effectiveness of a telephone-based counseling intervention to promote colonoscopy screening in members of high-risk colorectal cancer (CRC) families. FHPP participants were recruited from two National Cancer Institute-funded registries: the Colon Family Registry (CFR) and the Cancer Genetics Network (CGN). Both of these are multisite registries that have enrolled individuals diagnosed with CRC (probands with CRC) and their family members [1,2]. The FHPP recruited subjects from eight CFR and four CGN sites across the USA. Prior to randomization, FHPP participants completed a baseline survey that included information about CRC screening history, knowledge of CRC screening guidelines, attitudes and beliefs regarding colonoscopy, perceived barriers to CRC screening and perceived risk of CRC. The intervention was delivered by trained counselors using the Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) unit of the Survey Shared Resource of the University of Colorado Cancer Center. The intervention itself was designed to promote colonoscopy screening as this is the recommended CRC screening option for members of high-risk families; it was well grounded in behavioral theory and used motivational interviewing methodology. The design and baseline survey results have recently been published [3]. During the course of the FHPP we learned important lessons both from the study design and from the initial survey results. First and foremost, we learned that these registries are a valuable resource for conducting prevention trials in high-risk populations, which are often difficult to identify on a population level. The CFR and CGN had enrolled a large number of probands with CRC and their close relatives and had collected three-generation family histories. Having extensive family history data enabled us to easily identify individuals eligible for FHPP who were at increased risk for CRC due to an early “First and foremost, we learned that these registries are a valuable resource for conducting prevention trials in high-risk populations, which are often difficult to identify on a population level.” COMMENTARY