This project establishes a cooperative family registry for epidemiologic and interdisciplinary study of individuals and families at elevated risk for colorectal cancer. The University of Minnesota is one of six centers in a consortium headed by the University of Southern California, and this consortium is one of several national and international groups in the registry.

Each enrolled family member is asked to fill out a questionnaire on lifestyle, occupational, and family history risks and a dietary questionnaire, as well as contribute blood samples to a biorepository. In addition, tissue samples from those with cancer are obtained and banked. Thousands of high-risk families have been enrolled to date, and it is expected that this registry will continue to provide a platform for many studies into the role that genetics plays in families with colorectal cancer.

For more information, contact Timothy Church, Ph.D., at trc@cccs.umn.edu.