European Polyp Surveillance trials

EPoS is an extraordinary project of three related clinical trials addressing one of the most important unsolved challenges in the prevention of large bowel cancer (the third most common cancer worldwide); the surveillance of patients with premalignant polyps. EPoS trial I compares 5 to 10-year surveillance for patients with low-risk adenomas; EPoS II compares 3 to 5-year surveillance for patients with high-risk adenomas; and EPoS III addresses the novel issue of serrated polyps with 5-year surveillance intervals. In March 2020, 6 years after project start, we have fulfilled recruitment of all 20,000 patients as planned to the EPoS trials in Norway, Austria, Denmark, Spain, the Netherlands, Sweden and Poland. We are now well underway with surveillance of included individuals in all EPos trials, and currently prepare first analyses from the trial according to protocol.

This proposal is aiming at continuous funding for EPoS (European Polyp Surveillance trials), a project that was funded for the first 6 year period by the Research Council and other funders in Norway and abroad in 2014. To be able to continue our successful journey with EPoS in colorectal cancer prevention, we now apply for funding for the next phase of the trials; the endpoint data acquisition and analysis of the first primary endpoints and thus trial portfolio results. EPoS is an extraordinary project of three related clinical trials addressing one of the most important unsolved challenges in the prevention of colorectal cancer (the third most common cancer worldwide); the surveillance of patients with premalignant polyps. EPoS trial I compares 5 to 10-year surveillance for patients with low-risk adenomas; EPoS II compares 3 to 5-year surveillance for patients with high-risk adenomas; and EPoS III addresses the novel issue of serrated polyps with 5-year surveillance intervals. In March 2020, 6 years after project start, we have fulfilled recruitment of all 20,000 patients as planned to the EPoS trials in Norway, Austria, Denmark, Spain, the Netherlands, Sweden and Poland. We are now entering the final phase of the trials; cancer incidence and death ascertainment. During this funding cycle, we will be able to publish comparative results regarding the co-primary endpoints of polyp yield and cancer at 5-year surveillance in all EPoS trials (EPoS I to III). The EPoS group includes world experts in the field who are determined to continue to joint venture for this largest randomized trial in polyp surveillance trial ever done. This funding proposal aims at covering the EPoS headquarters, trial database and leadershipo for the years to come. Other funding has been and is in place for centres and international contribution.