Burn Pit Exposure in Veterans: A Cancer Screening Pilot Study at the Inova Saville Cancer Screening & Prevention Center

Overview

The goal of this study is to determine the feasibility and participant satisfaction associated with a more intensive cancer screening regimen in veterans exposed to burn pits. The study results may describe the clinical and psychosocial impact such screening has on this potential population. The study hopes to share the premalignant and malignant findings identified and follow-up healthcare utilization associated with high-intensity cancer screening during the approximately 3-year study period (three annual screening assessments and an additional year of follow-up to determine participants' cancer status). The study will also explore the performance of new tools (nasal brush, multi-cancer detection blood test, and radiomic analysis) in detecting the development of cancer during the study period.

Detailed description

Participants are assigned by the study protocol to intensive cancer screening at baseline, 12-, and 24-month visits, with follow-up at 36 months. All procedures, including investigational tools like the MCD blood test and nasal swabs, are required by the study and are not routine clinical care. The study objectives include: feasibility, participant satisfaction, detection of cancer, follow-up care, and testing of investigational tools. This is an interventional study.

Interventions

• Device Avantect Multi-Cancer Detection Test
  Multi-cancer blood test to detect cancer DNA. Manufactured by ClearNote Health.
• Diagnostic test Nasal Swab
  Two nasal brush swabs will be collected during the baseline screening period. The brushing of the inside of the nose is performed using a soft brush, with local anesthetic if necessary.

Primary outcome measures

• STAI Questionnaire [Time frame: 3.5 years]
• Burn Pit Exposure Questionnaire [Time frame: 1 day]
• Cancer Outcomes Follow up Questionnaire [Time frame: 1 day]
• Intensive Cancer Screening Feasibility [Time frame: 2 years]

Secondary outcome measures (3)

• Nasal Swab [Time frame: 1 day]
• Blood Collection - Multi-cancer detection Blood Test [Time frame: 3 years]
• Radiomic analysis [Time frame: 2 years]

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion criteria

• ≥ 35 years
• Veteran of the United States Armed Forces (retired/no longer enlisted) with a prior deployment resulting in exposure (based on self-report or official records, if available) to burn pits for >1 week (exposure defined as on the base or close enough to the base to see the smoke from the burn pit, an area of land used for the open-air combustion of trash and other solid waste products).
• Ability to understand and willing to sign informed consent
• Ability to understand and willing to sign HIPAA Authorization

Exclusion criteria

• No history of malignancy within the past 5 years (non-melanoma skin cancer and in situ carcinoma would still be eligible) and not currently being worked up clinically for suspicion of cancer.
• For women of childbearing potential, not pregnant.

Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.

Healthy volunteers: Yes

Study design

Allocation

N/A

Model

Single group

Masking

Open label

Primary purpose

Diagnostic

Study locations

United States · 1 center

• Inova Schar Cancer Institute — Fairfax

Identifiers

NCT: NCT07485322 · INOVA-2025-302

Primary sources (government registries)

• ClinicalTrials.gov (US NIH)

View this study on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗