A phase 2 GALAXY study presented at the ESMO Gastrointestinal Cancers Congress 2026 suggests that circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) testing after surgery could help identify which patients with colorectal cancer that has spread to the liver are most likely to benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy. Researchers found that patients who underwent upfront surgery and had detectable ctDNA after surgery experienced substantially better outcomes when treated with chemotherapy, with 4-year overall survival improving from 33% to 65% and disease-free survival increasing from 7% to 38% compared with those who did not receive chemotherapy.
Author: Abhay Panchal
A new study suggests that disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBIs)—such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and functional dyspepsia—rarely occur in isolation. Instead, many patients experience multiple overlapping gastrointestinal and non-gastrointestinal conditions, reinforcing the need for a more comprehensive approach to diagnosis and treatment. Researchers found that patients with DGBIs were more likely to have additional GI disorders as well as conditions such as anxiety, depression, chronic pain syndromes, fatigue, and other functional disorders. These overlapping conditions were associated with a higher symptom burden, poorer quality of life, and greater healthcare utilization compared with patients who had a single disorder. The…
CMS’ proposed 2027 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (HOPPS) and Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) payment rule includes several changes that could significantly affect gastroenterology practices and ASCs. While overall ASC payments would increase modestly, many high-volume GI procedures would face reimbursement cuts, continuing financial pressure on endoscopy services. Among the six highest-spending ASC specialties, gastroenterology is one of only two projected to receive lower payments, with an estimated 2% reduction in aggregate reimbursement for 2027. High-volume procedures such as colonoscopy with lesion removal, colonoscopy with biopsy, and esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) with biopsy are each expected to see approximately 2% payment cuts,…
Today’s endoscopy suite is poised for a major transformation, driven by rapid advances in imaging technology, artificial intelligence, and device innovation. Speaking at the 2026 Expert Strategies in Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal, and Liver Disorders symposium, Dr. Christopher C. Thompson explained that while endoscopy has evolved over the past century, the next wave of innovation is expected to accelerate progress significantly. A key area of advancement is imaging technology. Traditional charge-coupled device (CCD) image sensors are being replaced by complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) chips, which are smaller, consume less power, produce higher-resolution images with less distortion, process data faster, and are…
The ESMO Gastrointestinal Cancers Congress 2026 featured several important studies that could influence the future of gastrointestinal cancer treatment, although not all findings were practice-changing. Researchers presented updates spanning colorectal, pancreatic, and liver cancers, highlighting both promising targeted therapies and trials that challenged expectations. One of the biggest updates came from the phase 3 KRYSTAL-10 trial, where the chemotherapy-free combination of adagrasib plus cetuximab failed to outperform standard chemotherapy in patients with previously treated KRAS G12C-mutated metastatic colorectal cancer. Although the targeted combination produced a much higher response rate (47% vs. 16%), it did not improve progression-free or overall survival.…
The American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) has announced a strategic partnership with Forus, an AI-powered medication access platform, to help reduce delays and barriers that prevent patients with digestive diseases from receiving prescribed therapies. The collaboration aims to improve access to medications by addressing challenges such as prior authorizations, insurance appeals, financial assistance, and pharmacy routing, which frequently delay treatment even when clinical evidence supports the prescribed therapy. Forus integrates directly into electronic health record (EHR) workflows and automates the medication access process across multiple payers, pharmacies, and drug manufacturers at no cost to providers or patients. By combining Forus’ real-world…
Freenome reported positive results from a pivotal clinical validation study of its next-generation SimpleScreen™ CRC blood test, which met all primary and secondary endpoints while significantly improving detection of advanced precancerous lesions (APLs). The updated test achieved 80.4% sensitivity for colorectal cancer, 18.2% sensitivity for advanced precancerous lesions, and 41.9% sensitivity for high-grade dysplasia (HGD)—a substantial improvement over the first-generation test. The company noted that the sensitivity for detecting APLs and HGD is the highest reported to date for any noninvasive blood-based colorectal cancer screening test evaluated in a prospective registrational study.
An updated POWER (Practice Guide on Obesity and Weight Management, Education, and Resources) framework calls on gastroenterologists and hepatologists to take a more active role in obesity management, reflecting major advances since the original 2017 recommendations. The guidance recognizes obesity as a chronic, relapsing disease and recommends an individualized, long-term treatment strategy that integrates lifestyle interventions, GLP-1–based medications, endoscopic bariatric therapies, bariatric surgery, and multidisciplinary care. It also encourages moving beyond body mass index (BMI) alone by incorporating measures such as waist circumference and body fat assessment to better evaluate obesity-related risk. The update highlights why GI specialists are uniquely…
Iterative Health has partnered with Gastroenterology Associates of New Jersey (GANJ) to expand community-based clinical research across the state. As GANJ’s exclusive research partner, Iterative Health will launch two new research sites in Toms River and Clifton, with plans to add more across GANJ’s 28-location network. The collaboration aims to make clinical trials more accessible by embedding research into routine gastroenterology care, giving patients access to investigational therapies closer to home. The partnership combines GANJ’s network of 60+ healthcare professionals with Iterative Health’s clinical trial infrastructure, sponsor relationships, and AI-powered research platform. A major focus will be inflammatory bowel disease…
A new meta-analysis of 14 studies found that deep learning (AI) systems can detect early esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) more accurately than junior endoscopists and perform on par with experienced specialists. Across the studies, AI achieved 94% sensitivity and 88% specificity, significantly outperforming less experienced physicians while matching senior endoscopists in overall diagnostic accuracy. The analysis also showed that AI serves as an effective clinical support tool. When junior endoscopists used AI assistance, their diagnostic performance improved substantially, while senior endoscopists also experienced modest gains in sensitivity and accuracy. These findings suggest AI could help standardize detection of subtle…