A reanalysis of Sweden’s population-based colorectal cancer screening program suggests that the mortality benefit of fecal occult blood testing (FOBT) may have been underestimated. In a prospective cohort of 376,511 adults ages 60–69, researchers adjusted for two sources of contamination: people in the screening group who developed CRC more than two years after their last invitation, and controls who were later invited to screening. After these adjustments, invitation to screening was associated with a 26% reduction in CRC mortality. When the analysis additionally accounted for nonadherence, participation in screening was associated with a 43% reduction in CRC mortality (RR, 0.57;…
Author: Abhay Panchal
The 13-year follow-up of the NORDICC randomized trial found that a single screening colonoscopy reduced colorectal cancer incidence but did not demonstrate a statistically significant reduction in CRC mortality. Among 28,217 participants assigned to screening and 56,366 assigned to no screening, CRC incidence was 1.46% vs 1.80% (ITT RR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.71–0.90), while CRC mortality was 0.41% vs 0.47% (ITT RR, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.68–1.08). Only 42% of those assigned to screening actually underwent colonoscopy. The per-protocol analysis showed a larger reduction in CRC incidence (RR, 0.55), and the benefit appeared greater in men than women. Gastroenterologist Aasma Shaukat…
A Northwestern Medicine study of nearly 18,600 colonoscopies performed by 55 physicians found that an AI tool could accurately assess several colonoscopy quality metrics from procedure videos. Its measurement of withdrawal time closely matched nurse-recorded times, while the system also tracked metrics such as polyps removed and use of cold snare polypectomy—measures the researchers say are difficult to assess manually at scale. The tool could provide a scalable way for hospitals and health systems to routinely monitor colonoscopy performance and give clinicians feedback. The researchers emphasize that it is designed to assess procedures after they are completed, rather than replace…
A reanalysis of Sweden’s population-based fecal occult blood test (FOBT) screening program suggests that the mortality benefit of colorectal cancer screening may have been substantially underestimated. Researchers analyzed 376,511 adults aged 60–69 years in the Stockholm-Gotland region, using a prospective cohort design in which birth cohorts were assigned to receive screening invitations at different times. The original analysis had estimated a 14% reduction in CRC mortality associated with being invited to screening, but the researchers identified two sources of bias: contamination of the control group, in which about two-thirds of controls were eventually invited to screening, and CRC deaths occurring…
BioNTech is ending a mid-stage trial of its experimental personalized mRNA cancer vaccine, autogene cevumeran, after an independent committee concluded it was unlikely to improve survival in patients with high-risk, mid-stage colorectal cancer. The Phase 2 study enrolled patients who had undergone surgery and chemotherapy but still had detectable circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), testing whether the vaccine could prevent recurrence. The committee also identified a numerical imbalance in overall survival between the vaccine and control groups; Reuters reports this likely reflected more deaths in the vaccine arm, although the magnitude was unclear.
Researchers at Nanyang Technological University developed peptide microdroplets that deliver siRNA into T cells and colorectal cancer cells to suppress PD-1 and PD-L1 production. In mouse models of microsatellite-stable (MSS) colorectal cancer, which accounts for about 85% of CRCs and generally responds poorly to checkpoint inhibitors, the dual-siRNA approach reduced tumor growth by about 67%, comparable to the antibody combination used as a benchmark. The approach could potentially offer a lower-cost alternative to monoclonal antibody immunotherapy; researchers estimate manufacturing costs could be 5–10 times lower if the technology translates successfully to treatment. However, this remains an early preclinical finding: the…
As colonoscopy reimbursement declines and GI practices see more patients with functional disorders, obesity, MASLD, and nutrition-related concerns, two gastroenterologists describe how they have expanded beyond procedure-based care into metabolic, lifestyle, and gut-health services. Their models differ: one uses shared medical appointments within an insurance-based practice, while the other combines reimbursed nutrition services with a direct-pay integrative medicine arm. The article highlights the practical requirements behind these programs: team-based staffing, dietitians, structured group visits, appropriate payer models, and physician expertise. The physicians argue that current fee-for-service reimbursement still favors procedures, making nonendoscopic care difficult to sustain on physician time alone,…
New studies suggest that physical activity may decline rather than increase after starting GLP-1 medications, despite recommendations to exercise to help preserve lean mass. In a retrospective study of 753 GLP-1 users with wearable-tracker data, average daily steps fell from 5,047 to 4,487, while moderate-to-vigorous activity dropped from 27.9 to 22.2 minutes per day. A separate study found that 57.7% of GLP-1 users failed to meet the recommended 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity per week, with average sedentary time approaching 16 hours/day.
Experts at the 2026 ESPGHAN Congress emphasized that AI in pediatric gastroenterology should remain a decision-support tool, not a substitute for physician judgment. The most promising applications include AI-assisted endoscopy, histology, imaging, and monitoring for IBD relapse, as well as nutrition-related tasks such as malnutrition screening and parenteral nutrition planning. A key caveat is that adult AI models cannot simply be transferred to children. Pediatric-specific validation, prospective trials, harmonized datasets, and ongoing monitoring for model performance and drift are needed before wider clinical adoption. In steatotic liver disease, the discussion also highlighted that simpler models using routine clinical and laboratory…
Ayble Health has joined Amazon’s Health Benefits Connector, giving eligible customers a direct way to discover, verify coverage for, and enroll in virtual GI care. Ayble, the first digestive health provider on the platform, says it is in-network for more than 80 million Americans and offers multidisciplinary care—including nutrition counseling, medication management, diagnostic testing, and behavioral health support—with care teams typically assigned within 48 hours. The move comes amid significant gaps in GI access: the company cites estimates that nearly 70% of U.S. counties have no practicing gastroenterologist and a projected national shortage of 1,630 full-time GI physicians. For Scope…