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Cancer Screening & Prevention Research Group @imperial-csprg.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

A big thankyou to everyone who supported yesterday's #RaceforLife! Our @imperialsandc.bsky.social team joined Imperial colleagues in running 10K to support @cancerresearchuk.org The event raised £250k+ w/ Team Imperial raising £12.5k! We're proud to support CRUK who funds much of our cancer research

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Cancer Screening & Prevention Research Group @imperial-csprg.bsky.social · 11/11/2025

Our @imperialmed.bsky.social postdoc Dr Rhea Harewood and colleagues latest paper out: Insulinemic and Inflammatory Dietary Patterns and Colorectal Cancer Risk: A Dietary Data Harmonization Study of One Million Participants in the COMETS Consortium doi.org/10.1016/j.aj...

doi.org

Redirecting

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Cancer Screening & Prevention Research Group @imperial-csprg.bsky.social · 08/10/2025

Imperial researchers include Prof Amanda Cross & Nefeli Taravira (Surgery and Cancer), Prof Elio Riboli, Prof Marc Gunter, Sherry Morris, David Muller & Rawan Maawadh (School of Public Health), Doris Chan, Ahmed Jayedi, Kostas Tsilidis, Margarita Cariolou (WCRF CUP)

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Cancer Screening & Prevention Research Group @imperial-csprg.bsky.social · 08/10/2025

Our @imperialcollegeldn.bsky.social colleagues were gathered this week for @who.int IARC EPIC annual meeting to share and discover the wide range of #cancerresearch studies being carried out across this important cohort. @wcrf.org

Group photo showing Imperial College London researchers at the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition annual meeting in Rome - Professor Amanda Cross, Nefeli Taravira, Professor Elio Riboli, Professor Marc Gunter, Sherry Morris, David Muller, Rawan Maawadh, Doris Chan, Ahmed Jayedi, Kostas Tsilidis, Margarita Cariolou

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Cancer Screening & Prevention Research Group @imperial-csprg.bsky.social · 07/10/2025

Also at EPIC is @imperialmed.bsky.social #PhD candidate Rawan Maawadh (supervisor Prof Amanda Cross) giving a talk on 'Proteomic Signatures of #Obesity and their Associations with #ColorectalCancer in a Case-Cohort Study in EPIC'

Cancer researcher Rawan Maawadh giving a talk with a screen behind showing her slide presentation

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Cancer Screening & Prevention Research Group @imperial-csprg.bsky.social · 07/10/2025

Our @imperialmed.bsky.social #PhD candidate Nefeli Taravira is at Rome today for @who.int IARC EPIC annual meeting presenting her research on 'The impact of #education, #smoking and #alcohol on oesophageal squamous cell #carcinoma risk in the EPIC cohort'

Cancer researcher Nefeli Taravira standing beside her research poster

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Cancer Screening & Prevention Research Group @imperial-csprg.bsky.social · 23/09/2025

Congrats to @imperialsandc.bsky.social postdoc Dr Rhea Harewood on receiving the @cancerresearchuk.org Bridge to Academic Leadership Award! This award will support Rhea in building skills to pursue independent research & transition to group leadership in the field of proximal bowel cancer aetiology

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Cancer Screening & Prevention Research Group @imperial-csprg.bsky.social · 03/07/2025

Thrilled to share that Fangqing Li has been awarded a China Scholarship Council @imperialcollegeldn.bsky.social Scholarship! She'll rejoin CSPRG in July as a fully funded PhD student, focusing on early-onset colorectal cancer. Welcome back Fangqing! #PhD #CancerResearch @imperialsandc.bsky.social

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Cancer Screening & Prevention Research Group @imperial-csprg.bsky.social · 01/07/2025

@imperialbrc.bsky.social-funded Dr Rhea Harewood & Kelly Gleason led a great #BowelCancerAwareness online session, supported by @imperialsandc.bsky.social, with Harrow THCOGIC Church members last week! They covered bowel cancer causes, public involvement in research, & Rhea's future research plans

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Cancer Screening & Prevention Research Group @imperial-csprg.bsky.social · 30/06/2025

A huge thank you to the 3 brilliant speakers (& their supportive colleagues) from @imperialnhs.bsky.social, @imperialsandc.bsky.social who joined Dr Harewood for a PPI session with 58 EKTA Harrow community members Valuable discussions had on breast & prostate cancer awareness & current research!

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Cancer Screening & Prevention Research Group @imperial-csprg.bsky.social · 27/06/2025

More @cancerresearchuk.org #PrevConf25 final day action ✅Heavyweight academics slug it out over GLP1 agonists importance (or not) for #cancerprevention ✅Prof Karen Brown weighs in on drugs for precision cancer prevention www.cancerresearchuk.org/funding-for-...

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Cancer Screening & Prevention Research Group @imperial-csprg.bsky.social · 27/06/2025

Busy week catching up with all the latest in #cancerprevention at @cancerresearchuk.org #PrevConf25 ✅Pressing agenda ✅Brilliant talks ✅Thought-provoking debates ✅Opportune catch-up with colleagues & collaborators www.cancerresearchuk.org/funding-for-...

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Reposted by Cancer Screening & Prevention Research Group

Ines Perpetuo, PhD @ines-perpetuo.bsky.social · 26/06/2025

Come see our researchers present their research next week and check out our Keynote as well!!! @imperialmed.bsky.social @imperial-csprg.bsky.social @imperial-edu.bsky.social @imperialcollegeldn.bsky.social

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Cancer Screening & Prevention Research Group @imperial-csprg.bsky.social · 24/06/2025

This is the first study to show an association between distal polyp characteristics & long-term proximal colon cancer risk, helping to inform who might benefit from colonoscopy, and providing evidence for future updates of post-polypectomy surveillance guidelines. Read it here: t.co/P6P4wA8zxF

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Cancer Screening & Prevention Research Group @imperial-csprg.bsky.social · 24/06/2025

New analyses of #UKFSST data identify distal polyp characteristics associated with future proximal colon cancer risk. Funders: @cancerresearchuk.org @nihr.bsky.social Authors: R Harewood, K Wooldrage, E Robbins, J Kinross, C Wagner & AJ Cross Journal: @bmj.com Open Gastroenterology

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Cancer Screening & Prevention Research Group @imperial-csprg.bsky.social · 24/06/2025

New paper alert! Larger or high-grade dysplastic distal adenomas found on flexi-sig screening are associated with ⬆️ risk of future proximal colon cancer. No associations for number or histology of distal adenomas or any distal hyperplastic polyp characteristics @bmj.com OpenGastro t.co/P6P4wA8zxF

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Cancer Screening & Prevention Research Group @imperial-csprg.bsky.social · 29/05/2025

We took a break from the office to celebrate the successful PhD vivas of both Emma and Sharon with a sunny picnic! It was great to have the opportunity to mark this achievement as a group, congratulations to you both! #PhDone

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Cancer Screening & Prevention Research Group @imperial-csprg.bsky.social · 22/05/2025

Thanks @qubelfastofficial.bsky.social @helencolemanqub.bsky.social for inviting Amanda J Cross to give the Charlotte Jackson Gift Lecture today! A great opportunity to share our @cancerresearchuk.org funded work on #BowelCancer early detection & how our findings are influencing policy & patient care

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Cancer Screening & Prevention Research Group @imperial-csprg.bsky.social · 12/05/2025

A huge congratulations to our brilliant @imperialsandc.bsky.social @cancerresearchuk.org #PhD - Dr Emma Robbins! - on successfully passing her #viva today! An incredible achievement and well-deserved recognition of her hard work and dedication. We are so proud to celebrate with her! 😀👏🥳

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Cancer Screening & Prevention Research Group @imperial-csprg.bsky.social · 24/04/2025

Post doc Dr Rhea Harewood sharing #BowelCancerAwareness at a community outreach event with the Harrow THCOGIC church. The group discussed how #BowelCancer is caused, how we can screen to find it earlier and how to improve public involvement in bowel cancer research #EDI #CancerResearch

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Cancer Screening & Prevention Research Group @imperial-csprg.bsky.social · 23/04/2025

Improving involvement of EDI groups in #BowelCancer research is essential to make medical research more equitable Rhea Harewood & Kelly Gleason collaborated with the Asian Women Cancer Group to hear their opinions on Rhea's future bowel #CancerResearch plans! #BowelCancerAwareness

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Cancer Screening & Prevention Research Group @imperial-csprg.bsky.social · 23/04/2025

It's #BowelCancerAwareness Month Spotlight on our @nihr.bsky.social post-doc Dr Rhea Harewood's work to improve involvement & participation of minority ethnic groups in #BowelCancer research This work is funded by the @imperialsandc.bsky.social and @imperialcollegeldn.bsky.social EDI seed funds!

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Cancer Screening & Prevention Research Group @imperial-csprg.bsky.social · 07/04/2025

8/8 Impact Effective allocation of surveillance colonoscopies is crucial to protect higher-risk pts from CRC while minimising invasive procedures for low-risk pts. Our unique data will inform recommendations for ongoing surveillance in future post-polypectomy surveillance guidelines.

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Cancer Screening & Prevention Research Group @imperial-csprg.bsky.social · 07/04/2025

7/8 Conclusion Pts with high-risk findings at both baseline & SC1 needed a second surveillance colonoscopy, whereas those with low-risk findings at SC1 did not, regardless of their baseline findings. We couldn't draw conclusions for the LR-HR group due to limited CRC cases.

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Cancer Screening & Prevention Research Group @imperial-csprg.bsky.social · 07/04/2025

6/8 Findings: Compared to the general population, CRC incidence after SC1 was: ▪️ ~0.5 times lower in the LR-LR group ▪️ - Non-significantly different in the HR-LR or LR-HR groups, although the 95%CI for the LR-HR group was wide due to few CRC cases ▪️ - ~3 times higher in the HR-HR group

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Cancer Screening & Prevention Research Group @imperial-csprg.bsky.social · 07/04/2025

5/8 Methods We examined CRC incidence after SC1. Median follow-up was 8 years. CRC incidence in each group was then compared with that in the general population.

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Cancer Screening & Prevention Research Group @imperial-csprg.bsky.social · 07/04/2025

4/8 Methods 10,508 pts were split into 4 groups defined by their findings at baseline & at SC1 - ‘Low-risk, low-risk’ (LR-LR) - ‘High-risk, low-risk’ (HR-LR) - ‘Low-risk, high-risk’ (LR-HR) - ‘High-risk, high-risk’ (HR-HR)

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Cancer Screening & Prevention Research Group @imperial-csprg.bsky.social · 07/04/2025

3/8 Background Pts at ⬆️ risk of CRC after polyp removal are recommended to have post-polypectomy surveillance to protect against future CRC. However, there are limited data to support recommendations for ongoing surveillance beyond SC1.

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Cancer Screening & Prevention Research Group @imperial-csprg.bsky.social · 07/04/2025

2/8 What A retrospective, cohort analysis of pts who underwent baseline colonoscopy with polyp removal & had ≥1 check-up colonoscopies (‘post-polypectomy surveillance’). Authors: E Robbins, K Wooldrage, M Rutter, A Veitch & A J Cross Funding: @cancerresearchuk.org @nihr.bsky.social

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Cancer Screening & Prevention Research Group @imperial-csprg.bsky.social · 07/04/2025

1/8 Which patients under surveillance for colorectal cancer (CRC) after polyp removal need to continue having surveillance beyond the 1st surveillance colonoscopy (SC1)? Our new analysis in Gut @BMJ.com examines which pt groups need ongoing surveillance. gut.bmj.com/cgi/rapidpdf...

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Cancer Screening & Prevention Research Group @imperial-csprg.bsky.social · 21/03/2025

At the CSPRG, we're aiming to reduce the number of people being diagnosed & dying from #ColorectalCancer Watch this space for future work on colorectal cancer risk and diet & lifestyle, how best to screen for CRC, and how to protect those at high risk from this cancer #CSPRGWeekOfResearch

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Cancer Screening & Prevention Research Group @imperial-csprg.bsky.social · 20/03/2025

#CSPRGWeekOfResearch Our data from @imperialcollegeldn.bsky.social PhD Emma Robbins is helping to develop the future of #ColorectalCancer screening guidelines Women with low-risk distal polyps at flexi-sig screening were at 2x⬆️risk of proximal colon cancer compared to general population

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Cancer Screening & Prevention Research Group @imperial-csprg.bsky.social · 20/03/2025

Flexi-sig screening & colorectal cancer risk: Are we missing women at increased risk of proximal colon cancer? Read our analysis of UKFSST data in @BMJ.com to discover if flexi-sig is sufficient to protect people with low-risk polyps journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/... #CSPRGWeekOfResearch

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Cancer Screening & Prevention Research Group @imperial-csprg.bsky.social · 19/03/2025

Our @CancerResearchUK.org & @NIHR.bsky.social funded work showed that quantitative data from serial FITs could predict ACN risk: - No change in serial FIT results was associated with a ⬇️ ACN detection rate - Serial increases were associated with⬆️ ACN detection rates #CSPRGWeekOfResearch

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Cancer Screening & Prevention Research Group @imperial-csprg.bsky.social · 19/03/2025

#CSPRGWeekOfResearch continues with FIT testing for colorectal cancer surveillance. In our @BMJ.com paper from our @imperialSandC.bsky.social PhD student Gemma, we show that multiple FITs could help reduce the burden of surveillance on NHS endoscopy services bmjopengastro.bmj.com/content/12/1...

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Cancer Screening & Prevention Research Group @imperial-csprg.bsky.social · 18/03/2025

A single flexible sigmoidoscopy can cut bowel cancer risk by an astounding 25%. This protective effect lasts for 21 years. Our evidence of flexi-sig efficacy is contributing to ongoing discussions on how to improve bowel cancer screening guidelines #CSPRGWeekOfResearch

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Cancer Screening & Prevention Research Group @imperial-csprg.bsky.social · 17/03/2025

10/10 Summary: Patients experiencing symptoms of faintness or having a fatalistic view of cancer diagnosis are less likely to attend endoscopic exams to diagnose/screen for CRC Optimising patient experience is important to increase future attendance at endoscopic exams

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Cancer Screening & Prevention Research Group @imperial-csprg.bsky.social · 17/03/2025

9/10 Impact: A patient's experience at baseline endoscopy can affect their attendance at future exams. Our data can help NHS endoscopy services to address the factors that increase non-attendance and improve uptake of surveillance programmes

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Cancer Screening & Prevention Research Group @imperial-csprg.bsky.social · 17/03/2025

8/10 Findings: 0.5% of participants developed distal CRC over a median 16.8 years follow-up Family history of CRC was associated with distal CRC development (HR 1.75 (1.20-2.54)) An FS more painful than expected was associated with decreased CRC risk (HR 0.57 (0.37-0.88))

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Cancer Screening & Prevention Research Group @imperial-csprg.bsky.social · 17/03/2025

7/10 Findings - Colonoscopies: 18.3% of pts didn’t attend their surveillance exam Non-attendance was more likely if pts agreed they didn’t need the tests, the test were tempting fate or they’d rather let nature take its course No associations with non-attendance at referred colonoscopy found

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Cancer Screening & Prevention Research Group @imperial-csprg.bsky.social · 17/03/2025

6/10 Findings - Repeat FS exam: 7.1% of patients didn’t attend their repeat FS appt Reaching only the recto-sigmoid junction (OR 2.66) & experiencing faintness/dizziness (OR 5.10) were associated with increased risk of non-attendance

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Cancer Screening & Prevention Research Group @imperial-csprg.bsky.social · 17/03/2025

5/10 Methods: We also examined endoscopist-reported variables of bowel prep quality, segment of bowel reached, and total procedure time All 40141 participants included in CRC incidence analyses with median follow-up of 16.8 years.

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Cancer Screening & Prevention Research Group @imperial-csprg.bsky.social · 17/03/2025

4/10 Methods: 40141 participants had flexible sigmiodoscopy (FS) during the #UKFSST trial, then referred for: - Repeat FS (n= 850) - Colonoscopy (n= 1788) - Surveillance (n= 1346) These patients were included in attendance analysis and completed pre & post-exam questionnaires

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