In early August 2021, the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai announced that it had received over $4M in grant funding from the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Mount Sinai will use the grant money to perform research into the efficacy of anal cancer screenings in high-risk women with a past history of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection or HPV-associated pre-cancerous cells.
Anal Cancer
To begin, what is anal cancer? This rare cancer manifests in the anal canal, which is a short tube at the end of the rectum. Risk factors include older age (60+), HPV infection, having many sexual partners or engaging in anal sex, using immunosuppressants, smoking tobacco, or having a history of cervical, vulvar, or vaginal cancer. In women aged 50 or over, the prevalence of anal cancer is rapidly rising. In fact, doctors even believe that over the next 10 years, anal cancer diagnoses will be more prevalent in this group than cervical cancer. Symptoms include:
- Lumps or masses in the anal canal
- Rectal bleeding
- Anal pain, itching, or discharge
- Pressure around the anus
- Changes in bowel habits
- Narrowing stools
- Swollen lymph nodes in the anal or groin areas
The Research
Within this particular research, which will take a 5-year period to complete, researchers will focus on women with a history of HPV-related precancerous cells in the cervix, vulva, and vagina. Since over 90% of this rare cancer’s diagnoses are linked to HPV, it is extremely important to understand how cancer screenings are benefiting patients. Within this study, women with HIV are not included, as researchers want to focus on an understudied and often underrepresented group.
During the study, at least 300 women will receive screening. Next, researchers seek to understand:
- The efficacy of current screening tests and whether these tests perform as expected
- Whether screening tools can estimate how common high-risk precancers occur within this group
Through the study, researchers will use machine learning (a type of artificial intelligence) and mathematical models to see whether these estimates could be applied to the greater population. For example, is early testing and screening cost-effective, and if not, how can it be? How do precancers – and this rare cancer – affect quality of life (QOL)? What are the benefits or downsides of early cancer screenings?
