By participating in this project, you can make a difference for future generations.

What is the Family CARE Project?
Who can participate in the project?
What do I have to do to participate?
How will this project benefit me and my whole family?
Will my privacy be protected?
Where do I go for more information?

What is the Family CARE Project?

The Family CARE (Colorectal Cancer Awareness and Risk Education) Project is a research study focused on family members of people who have been diagnosed with colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer is a disease that starts in the colon or the rectum. It is one of the most preventable cancers and may even be curable if found early through screening.

Many factors increase a person’s chance of getting this type of cancer. The Family CARE Project will focus on the following:

• Family history of cancer
• Risk for colorectal cancer
• Things one can do to help prevent colorectal cancer or find it early, when it is easier to treat

This project will help families and health care workers learn more about the best ways to increase knowledge and awareness about colorectal cancer prevention among families affected by this disease. The long-term goal is to find ways to prevent the disease and to reduce cancer deaths among people who live in rural and remote areas.

Who can participate in the project?

We need help from both those who have been diagnosed with colorectal cancer and their family members. Participation of volunteers like you is vital to the success of this project.

If you have been diagnosed with colorectal cancer, we need your help to identify your eligible family members.

If someone in your family has had colorectal cancer and you live in Utah or Idaho, you may qualify for this project if the following are true:

• You are between ages 30 and 74
• You have one family member diagnosed with colorectal cancer before age 60 or have two or more family members diagnosed at any age

What do I have to do to participate?

People diagnosed with colorectal cancer who would like their family members to participate will be asked to do the following:

• Complete a form giving Huntsman Cancer Institute research staff permission to contact you
• Complete a form with contact information for any of your eligible family members

Family members who are eligible and would like to participate will be asked to do the following:

• Sign a consent form and complete a family history form and a questionnaire
• Be assigned to one of two groups:
  • A group that receives a pamphlet with colorectal cancer information only
  • A group that receives the same pamphlet and has a one-time phone conversation with a cancer risk specialist
• Complete three questionnaires after receiving either the pamphlet or completing the telephone session

Participation will be done only by mail and phone. You do not need to travel to Huntsman Cancer Institute in Salt Lake City, Utah.

How will this project benefit me and my family?

People who participate in the Family CARE Project will benefit by learning about colorectal cancer, knowing their risk of getting the disease, and finding out what they can do to prevent this disease or find it earlier when it is easier to treat. You can take charge of your health!

The findings from this project may help us improve colorectal cancer prevention efforts and save lives of people in rural and other areas who live far from a major cancer center.

Will my privacy be protected?

We gather and protect all information according to federal laws. We will not share your personal information with anyone outside this project.

Where do I go for more information?

If you have questions or would like some additional information about this project, please call Amy: 801-585-1367 or toll free: 1-877-751-2220.

This project is funded by the National Cancer Institute and Huntsman Cancer Foundation. It is conducted at Huntsman Cancer Institute. The University of Utah’s Institutional Review Board, which makes sure research is safe and ethical, approved this project.

Be a part of cancer research. You can make a difference!