Gastrointestinal Biomarkers in Tissue and Biological Fluid Samples From Patients and Healthy Participants Undergoing Colonoscopy, Endoscopy, or Surgery

OBJECTIVES:

- Identify new potential biomarkers of increased gastrointestinal cancer risk using tissue
and biofluid samples from patients and healthy volunteers undergoing colonoscopy,
endoscopy, or surgery.

- Develop new screening strategies based on substances found in tissue and biofluid
samples.

OUTLINE: This is a multicenter study.

Patients and healthy volunteers undergo colonoscopy, endoscopy, or surgery. Patients and
healthy volunteers also undergo tissue (e.g., tumor or normal mucosa) and biofluid (e.g.,
blood, urine, cyst fluids or tumor cells, bile and pancreatic juices, and/or stool) sample
collection. Samples are analyzed for tumor markers by proteomic methods and protein analysis.
If candidate biomarkers are identified, samples are stored for future studies involving these
biomarkers. Information, including demographics, personal and family history of cancer, and
prior and current colonoscopy, endoscopy, or surgery results, is collected from the medical
record and stored in the project database.

Patients and healthy volunteers are followed once a year for up to 5 years to determine if
biomarkers have a prognostic significance.

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Meets 1 of the following criteria:

- Diagnosis of gastrointestinal (GI) cancer, polyps, or inflammatory bowel disease

- History of previously treated GI cancer, polyps, or inflammatory bowel disease

- Healthy volunteer

- Undergoing colonoscopy or endoscopy for diagnostic or screening purposes at the
Vanderbilt University Medical Center or at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

- Hemoglobin ≥ 8.0 g/dL

- Not pregnant

- Fertile participants must use effective contraception

- Capable of giving informed consent

- Not mentally or medically impaired

- No bleeding disorder

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

- See Disease Characteristics