Environmental and Social Interventions for Cancer Risk
(PREEMpT Trial)
What You Need to Know Before You Apply
What is the purpose of this trial?
This trial explores whether enhancing a neighborhood's physical and social environment can lower cancer risk in communities facing persistent poverty. The focus includes making areas more walkable, enhancing safety, and increasing access to healthcare services like screenings and wellness checks through community initiatives. These changes aim to encourage healthier habits and reduce stress, ultimately lowering cancer risk. Black residents living in targeted areas who speak English might be suitable candidates for this study. As an unphased trial, this study offers a unique opportunity to contribute to community health improvements and potentially lower cancer risk in the neighborhood.
Will I have to stop taking my current medications?
The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. It focuses on environmental and social interventions rather than medication changes.
What prior data suggests that these environmental and social interventions are safe for reducing cancer risk?
Research has shown that improving living environments can help reduce cancer risk. Changes to the built environment, such as adding better sidewalks, more parks, and improved street lighting, make it easier for people to stay active and access healthcare. These changes have been linked to healthier choices, like exercising more and getting regular cancer check-ups.
Social improvements, including community events and leadership programs, foster connections and collaboration, making communities safer. This can also lower stress, which is known to reduce cancer risk.
Past studies have not directly addressed the safety of these environmental changes, as they differ from testing new drugs. However, these community improvements are generally considered safe, as they aim to enhance quality of life without introducing new medical treatments.12345Why are researchers excited about this trial?
Researchers are excited about the Environmental and Social Interventions for Cancer Risk trial because it aims to tackle cancer prevention in a unique way. Unlike traditional methods that focus on medical treatments or lifestyle changes for individuals, this approach modifies community environments, such as improving social spaces and built surroundings, to reduce cancer risk. By creating healthier environments on a community level, this trial explores a proactive approach to prevention that could benefit large populations, potentially leading to widespread reductions in cancer incidence. This innovative strategy offers a fresh perspective on cancer prevention, shifting the focus from treating individuals to enhancing the collective environment.
What evidence suggests that these environmental and social interventions could reduce cancer risk?
This trial will compare the effects of environmental and social interventions on cancer risk. Research has shown that improving both the physical and social aspects of neighborhoods can significantly reduce cancer risk. Environmental factors, like those targeted in this study, are linked to 60-80% of cancer cases. By making neighborhoods more walkable and fostering a sense of community, the study aims to reduce stress and promote healthier habits, which are associated with a lower cancer risk. Evidence suggests that cancer prevention efforts can potentially cut the overall cancer burden by up to 60%. This approach aligns with findings that prevention and screening can prevent millions of cancer deaths. Therefore, changing environments to encourage healthier living may effectively lower cancer risk.16789
Who Is on the Research Team?
Lori B Bateman, PhD
Principal Investigator
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Gabriela R Oates, PhD
Principal Investigator
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?
This trial is for people living in areas with persistent poverty, where there's a higher risk of cancer due to the environment. It's open to those who could benefit from improved neighborhood conditions like better lighting, sidewalks, and social programs.Inclusion Criteria
Exclusion Criteria
Timeline for a Trial Participant
Screening
Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial
Pre-Intervention
Baseline data collection on participants before community-level built and social environment modifications
Intervention
Implementation of built and social environment improvements in collaboration with Live HealthSmart Alabama
Post-Intervention
Data collection on participants after community-level built and social environment modifications
Follow-up
Participants are monitored for changes in cancer risk factors and stress levels
What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?
Interventions
- Cancer Prevention Through Enhanced EnvironMent
Trial Overview
Cancer PREEMpT is testing if enhancing both the physical (built) and social environments can lower cancer risk. This includes making neighborhoods more walkable, increasing access to preventive care, organizing community events, and fostering local leadership.
How Is the Trial Designed?
2
Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Active Control
Post-intervention data will be collected on participants in this arm (different participants than in the pre-intervention group) after community-level built and social environment modifications (intervention) are implemented.
Baseline data will be collected on participants in this arm before community-level built and social environment modifications (intervention) are implemented.
Find a Clinic Near You
Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Lead Sponsor
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Collaborator
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Collaborator
Published Research Related to This Trial
Citations
Cancer prevention, risk reduction, and control
In the USA, the use of EBPs to prevent and reduce cancer risk has the potential to reduce the overall cancer burden by 42–60% [15, 16].
2.
genesenvironment.biomedcentral.com
genesenvironment.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s41021-025-00326-yCancer prevention: past challenges and future directions
The findings revealed that heritable factors contribute approximately 20–40% to carcinogenesis, whereas environmental factors contribute 60–80%, ...
Estimation of Cancer Deaths Averted From Prevention, ...
An estimated 5.94 million cancer deaths were averted for breast, cervical, colorectal, lung, and prostate cancers combined.
Cancer Prevention and Screening Account for Most ...
An estimated 5.94 million cancer deaths were averted for breast, cervical, colorectal, lung, and prostate cancers combined. Cancer prevention ...
Accelerating progress to reduce the cancer burden through ...
We project that over the next 25 years, realistic gains from tobacco control can contribute 0.4-17 million additional life-years gained per intervention.
Community Factors and County-Level Cancer Screening ...
Hispanic population, poverty, air pollution, and Air Toxics Cancer Risk were ranked highest for screening rates, respectively, for each cancer.
Cancer and environmental risk factors
Reducing the use of and exposure to chemicals known to contribute to cancer should be a top priority for prevention and for public health ...
Built environment design and cancer prevention through ...
In this interdisciplinary article, we focus on the key links between the built environment and cancer prevention strategies (primary, secondary, and tertiary)
Public awareness of environmental risk factors of cancer ...
According to the World Health Organization research, 35% of deaths caused by cancer worldwide are due to potentially preventable or modifiable risk factors.
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