Self-sampling a cost-effective option for anal cancer screening

Home-based self-sampling for squamous cell carcinoma of the anus could be a cost-effective way to increase screening among high-risk individuals.
An evaluation of the randomized phase 2 Prevent Anal Cancer (PAC) Self-Swab Study showed higher screening rates for participants who sampled at home compared with those who went to a clinic. Each additional screen had a societal cost of approximately $25 and health care cost of about $130.
“Home-based screening promises to be a cost-effective option to enhance anal cancer screening participation,” Haluk Damgacioglu, PhD, assistant professor in the

New oral contrast agent improves bowel disease detection on CT scans

In a new pilot feasibility study, researchers from Mayo Clinic, the University of Washington School of Medicine, the University of California San Francisco, and Nextrast Inc. found that a new imaging oral agent, also known as a "contrast agent," helps radiologists better see bowel structures and disease in CT imaging when compared with the current oral contrast agents.