Alliance -

E-News - February 2026
Spotlight on Alliance Trials

Beyond Treatment: Alliance Trials focus on cancer Prevention

The Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology is committed not only to finding new and better ways to treat cancer but also to identifying ways to help prevent cancer from occurring in the first place.

According to the National Cancer Institute, cancer prevention is any action taken to lower the chance of developing cancer. In addition to the physical challenges and emotional distress caused by cancer, the high cost of care is also a burden to patients, their families, and to the public. By preventing cancer, the number of new cases is reduced—hopefully lowering the burden of cancer and the number of cancer‑related deaths.

The Alliance currently has three active trials focused on cancer prevention.

Alliance A211901: Reaching rural cancer survivors who smoke using text-based cessation interventions

Also called Project Reach, Alliance A211901 is being led by Devon Noonan, PhD, MPH, FNP-B, of Duke School of Nursing. This phase III trial, which opened December 1, 2021, compares the effect of text-based cessation intervention to a manual intervention to help cancer patients quit smoking cigarettes.

Alliance A212102: Blinded Reference Set for Multicancer Early Detection Blood Tests

Led by Marie Wood, MD, of the University of Colorado School of Medicine, this study collects blood and tissue samples from patients with cancer and without cancer to evaluate tests for early cancer detection. Activated on August 1, 2022, researchers are collecting and storing samples of blood and tissue from patients with and without cancer to study in the laboratory so that researchers can develop tests for the early detection of cancers.

Alliance A232301CD: An Enhanced Ehealth and Chat-bot Enabled Delivery Model For Clinical Genetic Services In Community AYA Cancer Patients

Led by Angela Bradbury, MD, of University of Pennsylvania Abramson Cancer Center, the AYA ACCESS study is enrolling participants to study ways to address longstanding gaps in genetic services for adolescents and young adults (AYA) aged 18 to 39, who often receive care in community settings with limited access to genetic specialists. Research shows that more than 10% of AYAs have familial predispositions to cancer in their DNA, yet many do not receive recommended genetic testing due to barriers such as geographic distance, lack of provider knowledge, and limited time for screening. Learn more about the trial in the news release.