The Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial is a multicenter randomized clinical trial sponsored by the National Cancer Institute. The study is testing the effectiveness of early prostate, lung, colorectal, and ovarian cancer detection with:

1. digital rectal examination and blood prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing,
2. chest x-ray,
3. 60-cm flexible sigmoidoscopy, and
4. transvaginal ultrasound, blood cancer antigen (CA)-125 testing, respectively, versus usual care.

Ten PLCO screening centers (Birmingham, AL; Denver, CO; Detroit, MI; Honolulu, HI; Marshfield, WI; Minneapolis, MN; Pittsburgh, PA; Salt Lake City, UT; St. Louis, MO; and Washington, DC) participated. Beginning in November 1993 and ending in July 2001, the PLCO trial enrolled men and women 55-74 years of age who had no prior history of prostate, lung, colorectal, or ovarian cancer. Over 154,000 men and women were enrolled and randomized to control and screening intervention groups. A baseline questionnaire was given to each participant on entry into the study. The questionnaire recorded personal sociodemographic characteristics (e.g., age, race, sex, marital status, and education), cancer family history, personal medical history (including history of colorectal polyp), cigarette-smoking history, and cancer screening history within 3 years.

Biological Samples

Serial blood samples have been collected from screening arm participants (77,000) while buccal cell samples have been collected from the control arm of the trial.

Contact Information

Timothy Church, Ph.D., trc@cccs.umn.edu.

Selected References

Schoen RE, et al. Results of repeat sigmoidoscopy 3 years after negative examination. JAMA 2003; 290:41-48

Andriole GL, et al. Prostate cancer screening in the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial: findings from the initial screening round of a randomized trial. JNCI 2005; 97: 433-438.

Weissfeld JL, et al. Flexible sigmoidoscopy in the PLCO cancer screening trial: results from the baseline screening examination of a randomized trial. JNCI 2005; 97: 989-97.

Hayes RB, et al. Methods for etiologic and early marker investigations in the PLCO trial. Mut Res 2005; 592:147-154.