Screening for early anal precancer in women with prior cervical, vaginal, or vulvar neoplasia
Official title: The effectiveness of screening women with lower genital tract neoplasia or cancers for anal cancer precursors
Funded at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai · NIH-11191472 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will see whether screening women with past cervical, vaginal, or vulvar precancers can find early anal precancers using HPV or cytology tests, including possible self-swabs.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2021 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $1,106,183 |
| NIH project number | 4R01CA256660-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11191472 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are women with a history of cervical, vaginal, or vulvar dysplasia or cancer, particularly those aged 50 years and older.
✕Less likely to help
Women without any history of lower genital tract dysplasia or those who already have a diagnosis of invasive anal cancer are unlikely to benefit directly from this screening.
What this research studies
If you join, researchers will offer anal screening to women who have had cervical, vaginal, or vulvar dysplasia or cancer to look for high-grade anal lesions before they become cancer. Screening may include a clinician-collected anal cytology test, HPV testing, or a patient-collected swab, followed by further exam and biopsy if tests suggest a problem. The team will track what proportion of participants have treatable precancers and will record any harms from screening and follow-up procedures. Results will help determine whether targeted anal screening should be offered to women like you with prior lower genital tract disease.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could detect anal precancers earlier in high-risk women so they can receive treatment that may prevent anal cancer.
How similar studies have gone: Anal cytology and HPV screening have been used in people with HIV and have identified precancers, but using these approaches specifically in women with lower genital tract neoplasia is less well studied.
Where this research is happening
-
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sigel, Keith Magnus — Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
- Study coordinator: Sigel, Keith Magnus
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Integrated approach to preventing anal cancer in HIV+ MSM through screening and treatment of HSIL
This project tests a streamlined plan to prevent anal cancer in people living with HIV by screening for HSIL and treating it at clinics serving MSM.
-
Preventing anal cancer in people living with HIV
A topical form of HIV protease inhibitors is being tried to clear precancerous anal changes in people living with HIV.
-
Screening strategies to find anal cancer precursors in high-risk people
Researchers will study markers from DNA methylation and immune signals to better identify people at risk for anal cancer before it develops.
-
Integrated approach to preventing anal cancer in HIV-positive MSM through HSIL screening and treatment
This project tests a proven HSIL screening-and-treatment approach to prevent anal cancer in men living with HIV, using Ghana/Nigeria-based sites to learn how to implement it broadly.
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Better screening for anal cancer in people at higher risk
This project looks for biological and immune signals that could spot early precancerous changes in people at high risk for anal cancer.
-
Screen-and-treat program to prevent anal cancer in people with HIV
This project offers regular anal screening and treatment to men who have sex with men living with HIV to lower their risk of anal cancer.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.