Video capsule endoscopy is no longer just a niche tool for evaluating small-bowel bleeding. In this expert review, Shabana F. Pasha, MD, explores the expanding role of capsule endoscopy—from diagnosing Crohn’s disease and iron deficiency anemia to guiding balloon-assisted enteroscopy—while explaining why timing and patient selection can significantly influence diagnostic success. The article also examines emerging advances in AI-assisted capsule reading, compares the latest capsule platforms, and discusses the technology’s limitations. For gastroenterologists, it offers a practical overview of how video capsule endoscopy is evolving into an increasingly important component of modern GI diagnostics.
Author: Abhay Panchal
The AGA Incubator is more than a startup accelerator—it’s a glimpse into where gastroenterology is headed next. This article explores how the program is helping transform promising ideas into practical innovations that could reshape GI care, bringing together clinicians, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders to accelerate the future of digestive health. Featuring startups GI Transit and MiWEndo, the article highlights emerging technologies designed to improve esophageal disease monitoring and colorectal cancer detection. It also offers a behind-the-scenes look at how the AGA Incubator is fostering collaboration, clinical validation, and commercialization to bring the next generation of GI technologies closer to patients.
Authored by gastroenterologist Aasma Shaukat, MD, MPH, this commentary argues that while blood-based colorectal cancer screening tests are gaining attention for their convenience, they should not replace colonoscopy or stool-based screening for most patients. The author explains that current blood tests are less effective at detecting early-stage cancers and precancerous polyps, making them a less reliable first-line screening option. Shaukat recommends reserving blood-based tests for patients who decline or cannot complete recommended screening methods, with clear discussions about their limitations. Until stronger evidence and implementation frameworks are available, she urges practices to prioritize proven screening strategies while carefully evaluating where…
Early-onset gastrointestinal cancers are rising—and colorectal cancer is only part of the story. Mayo Clinic experts warn that stomach, esophageal, pancreatic, and other GI cancers are also being diagnosed more frequently in adults under 50, underscoring the need to take persistent symptoms seriously rather than dismissing them because of age. The article highlights key risk factors, warning signs, and advances in personalized care, including genetic testing, tumor profiling, immunotherapy, and AI-assisted cancer detection. It also emphasizes that earlier recognition and timely evaluation can improve treatment options and outcomes for younger patients.
Freenome has officially become a publicly traded company after completing a business combination that raised more than $300 million to advance its AI-powered, blood-based cancer screening platform. The funding will support the commercialization of its colorectal cancer screening test, expansion into additional cancer indications, and further development of its AI-enabled multiomics platform through partnerships with Abbott and Roche. The company says its long-term strategy combines blood-based screening, AI, and real-world clinical data to deliver more personalized cancer detection and continuously improve test performance over time. With new capital and public market backing, Freenome aims to expand access to early cancer…
In this episode of The Scope Forward Show, Praveen Suthrum speaks with Dr. Neelima Reddy, Gastroenterologist | Governor, ACG Louisiana.This was how Dr. Neelima Reddy was introduced to me by email. Dr. Reddy is a powerhouse who has single handedly brought many GI MDs under two WhatsApp forums allowing for shared thoughts, vendor intros/demos, business intel sharing and more. As you’ll discover, she’s indeed a powerhouse and a lot more. In this episode of The Scope Forward Show, Dr. Neelima Reddy, gastroenterologist and ACG Governor for Louisiana, shares the story of how WhatsApp has unified several hundred gastroenterologists. Starting with the women in GI and South Asian GIs, these groups…
A large national study found that patients with a positive multitarget stool DNA (mt-sDNA) test were significantly more likely to complete the recommended follow-up colonoscopy than those with a positive FIT/FOBT test. Follow-up colonoscopy was completed by 77.1% of mt-sDNA patients compared with 45.1% of FIT/FOBT patients, with faster follow-up across every racial and ethnic group. The study also found that patients screened with mt-sDNA were nearly four times more likely to complete a follow-up colonoscopy after adjusting for demographic and insurance differences. While disparities in follow-up persisted across racial and ethnic groups, the findings suggest that screening modality and…
CMS has proposed a series of significant changes to the 2027 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, including a 1.68% reduction in physician payments (1.19% for clinicians in advanced alternative payment models) following the expiration of the temporary 2026 payment increase. Beyond reimbursement, the proposal would revise how physicians are paid by converting the G2211 complexity add-on into a percentage-based modifier, reducing payment for certain same-day evaluation and management visits performed with procedures, restricting the use of contractors for remote monitoring services, and beginning a shift away from the AMA’s long-standing practice expense survey methodology. The proposal also signals broader payment reform,…
Agenus has secured up to $340 million in oversubscribed private financing to advance its Phase 3 ROBBIN trial evaluating the immunotherapy combination botensilimab (BOT) plus balstilimab (BAL) as neoadjuvant treatment for microsatellite-stable (MSS) colon cancer. The company is prioritizing this program based on encouraging Phase 2 data showing deep pathological responses and no reported disease recurrences to date, while discontinuing financial support for its separate late-stage metastatic colorectal cancer trial to focus resources on the earlier-stage opportunity. The funding is expected to support the program through key clinical milestones and, if warrants are fully exercised, provide operational runway through 2031.…
This opinion piece argues that the biggest long-term question for physician practices isn’t private equity acquisition itself, but what happens when those investments exit. The author notes that many physician practice investments are resold within a few years, and argues that repeated ownership changes can increase physician turnover and disrupt continuity of care. While acknowledging that private equity can provide capital, infrastructure, and liquidity for independent practices, the piece contends that physicians and investors should pay closer attention to how ownership transitions are structured and whether care models remain stable after an exit. The broader takeaway is that, as private…