Natera has published clinical validation data for its Latitude™ tissue-free molecular residual disease (MRD) assay in colorectal cancer, reporting strong sensitivity, specificity, and prognostic value in one of the largest tfMRD datasets to date. In an analysis of 195 patients from the GALAXY trial, the methylation-based ctDNA test demonstrated: MRD positivity was strongly associated with worse outcomes and identified high-risk patients who derived meaningful benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy, while MRD-negative patients saw little treatment advantage. The publication supports a MolDX submission and potential Medicare reimbursement pathway—marking an important step toward broader clinical integration of tissue-free MRD testing in colorectal cancer.…
Author: Abhay Panchal
Despite advances in outpatient therapies, hospitalization for adults with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) remains common—and outcomes vary widely across institutions. To address persistent gaps in inpatient management, the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) has released a new Clinical Practice Update outlining 13 best-practice recommendations for hospitalized adults with IBD. Key themes include: The guidance also highlights emerging considerations, including extended venous thromboembolism prophylaxis, the evolving role of JAK inhibitors as steroid-sparing options in acute severe ulcerative colitis, and the growing use of intestinal ultrasound for real-time assessment. The update reflects a broader shift: inpatient IBD care is becoming more protocol-driven, risk-stratified,…
Gastroenterology is facing a growing anesthesia staffing mismatch—driven not just by workforce shortages, but by volatile scheduling patterns and tightening payer scrutiny. According to clinicians speaking with Becker’s, GI suites are experiencing front-loaded procedure surges, late add-ons, and unpredictable stacking of cases that strain traditional anesthesia staffing models built around fixed daily blocks. The result: early-day overload, midday underutilization, and limited flexibility in non-operating room anesthesia (NORA) settings.
Gastro Florida, one of the largest independent gastroenterology groups in the region with more than 60 board-certified providers, has joined the Tampa General Provider Network (TGPN), aligning with Tampa General Hospital’s nationally ranked academic health system. The affiliation expands access to advanced gastroenterology and hepatology services across multiple Florida counties, integrating community-based GI practices with the resources of an academic medical center—including the TGH Digestive Diseases Institute and oncology specialists. Leaders from both organizations emphasized coordinated care pathways, access to complex procedures, and expanded use of advanced diagnostics, predictive analytics, and AI-enabled infrastructure. The move reflects a broader trend in…
Alimetry has received U.S. FDA clearance for updated reporting features within its Gastric Alimetry diagnostic platform, incorporating neural network–based signal processing and redesigned clinical metrics. According to the company, the AI-driven update improves differentiation between true gastrointestinal signals and background noise, aiming to provide clinicians with a clearer, more reliable assessment of gastric function. The redesigned reports also feature centralized, streamlined metrics intended to support faster, at-a-glance clinical interpretation. The clearance marks another regulatory milestone for noninvasive, AI-enabled GI diagnostics—and underscores a broader industry shift toward smarter signal processing, usability-focused design, and workflow-integrated digital platforms.
The largest published study of molecular residual disease (MRD) in stage III colon cancer shows that Guardant Health’s ctDNA blood test can more precisely identify which patients are likely to experience recurrence after surgery. In a study of more than 2,000 patients, about 20% had detectable circulating tumor DNA after surgery—and these patients faced a four-to-six-fold higher risk of recurrence or death. Even patients considered lower risk by conventional staging showed significantly worse outcomes when ctDNA was present. The findings suggest that liquid biopsy may soon become a routine tool for guiding adjuvant therapy, surveillance intensity, and personalized treatment decisions…
A multicenter randomized trial across Europe has shown that Olympus’ cloud-based AI detection system, CADDIE™, significantly improves the detection of clinically important colorectal lesions—particularly large adenomas, flat lesions, and sessile serrated lesions, which are often missed in routine colonoscopy. The EAGLE trial, involving more than 800 patients, reported a 7.3% increase in adenoma detection rate and substantial gains in identifying hard-to-detect lesions, without disrupting workflow or increasing unnecessary resections. Beyond detection gains, the study highlights a broader shift: AI delivered through the cloud may remove hardware barriers, enable faster deployment, and open the door to scalable, continuously improving endoscopy platforms.…
New research highlighted by HCPLive suggests that exhaled breath could become a noninvasive, real-time readout of gut microbiome activity, opening a potential new diagnostic frontier. In studies spanning humans, mice, and in-vitro models, researchers showed that volatile organic compounds (VOCs) detected in breath reflect metabolites produced by gut microbes. In healthy children, breath compounds closely matched the metabolic signatures of microbes found in stool. In germ-free mice, transplanting gut bacteria led to detectable microbial signals in breath—directly linking intestinal microbes to breath chemistry.Notably, breath profiles were also able to predict disease-associated microbes. In children with asthma, breath samples identified the…
The Medical Futurist has released its annual list of the 100 Digital Health and AI Companies of 2026, curated by Bertalan Meskó. Now in its ninth year, the list aims to cut through hype and spotlight companies showing real momentum across healthcare AI, devices, and platforms—without sponsorship or financial ties. What’s new in 2026 Key patterns worth watching
The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) has voted to acknowledge what many physician groups have warned for years: Medicare physician payments are no longer keeping pace with the cost of running a medical practice. In its January vote, MedPAC backed an additional 0.5% payment update on top of the modest increases already written into law and will forward that recommendation to Congress. While incremental, the move reinforces growing concern that the current payment framework is structurally broken. Why this matters The unresolved debate Last year, MedPAC itself called for a more durable fix: linking physician payment updates to the Medicare…