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…
Author: Abhay Panchal
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…
In a surprisingly funny and philosophical essay, The New York Times writer Sam Anderson reframes the colonoscopy—not as a medical ordeal, but as a strangely blissful, almost spiritual experience. What starts as dread turns into satire and self-reflection: the bowel prep becomes a forced “retreat from modern life,” the procedure itself a brief disappearance into oblivion, and the recovery a gentle reentry into the world—with juice, photos of one’s colon, and a clean bill of health.
Aidoc has received FDA clearance for what it describes as healthcare’s first comprehensive AI triage solution powered by a foundation model, marking a significant shift in how AI is deployed across radiology workflows. The clearance brings 11 newly approved acute indications, combined with three previously cleared ones, into a single body CT triage workflow. Built on Aidoc’s CARE™ foundation model and delivered through its aiOS™ enterprise platform, the solution is designed to surface critical findings earlier—particularly in crowded emergency departments and imaging backlogs, where first-in–first-out reading can delay urgent diagnoses.
NYU Langone Health announced the appointment of Anirban Maitra, MD, a preeminent physician–scientist whose work has widely influenced the field of pancreatic cancer research, as the new director of the Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, an NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. Before joining NYU Langone, Dr. Maitra served as the inaugural scientific director of the Pancreatic Cancer Research Center at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Dr. Maitra’s work focused on early detection and biomarker development, two key avenues for effective cancer treatments. After serving in a number of leadership roles at MD Anderson, he was…
The Colorectal Cancer Alliance has launched CLEAR for CRC, a patient-centered initiative designed to close persistent gaps in early biomarker testing for newly diagnosed colorectal cancer—particularly for patients with advanced or metastatic disease. Biomarker testing helps identify a tumor’s molecular profile, guiding treatment selection, eligibility for targeted therapies, and access to clinical trials. Despite its clinical importance, testing remains inconsistently ordered, often delayed until after first-line therapy, or missed entirely—especially in rural and underserved communities. CLEAR for CRC addresses these gaps through three core strategies: The initiative is led by Dr. Erin Siegel, principal investigator of the CLEAR for CRC…
GRAIL has submitted the final module of its FDA Premarket Approval (PMA) application for the Galleri® multi-cancer early detection (MCED) blood test, moving the test one step closer to potential regulatory approval and broader clinical adoption in the U.S. The PMA submission is anchored in data from two of the largest MCED studies to date: the PATHFINDER 2 U.S. registrational study and the NHS-Galleri randomized controlled trial in England. Together, these trials evaluate Galleri’s safety, performance, and real-world diagnostic pathways when used alongside standard cancer screening.