The accuracy of anal self- and companion exams among sexual minority men and transgender women: a prospective analysis. Lancet Reg Health Am 2024 Mar;31:100704
Date
03/05/2024Pubmed ID
38440068Pubmed Central ID
PMC10910307DOI
10.1016/j.lana.2024.100704Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85186586541 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 1 CitationAbstract
BACKGROUND: Squamous cell carcinoma of the anus (SCCA) annual incidence among sexual minority men with and without HIV is 85/100,000 and 19/100,000 persons, respectively, which is significantly higher than the overall incidence (2/100,000). Incidence may also be higher in transgender women. Since SCCA tumours average ≥30 mm at diagnosis, we assessed the accuracy of individuals to self-detect smaller anal abnormalities.
METHODS: Using convenience sampling, the study enrolled sexual minority men and transgender women, aged 25-81 years, in Chicago, Illinois and Houston, Texas, USA, during 2020-2022. Individuals were taught the anal self-examination and anal companion examination (ASE/ACE). Then, a clinician performed a digital anal rectal examination (DARE) before participants conducted the ASE or ACE. The sensitivity, specificity and concordance of the ASE/ACE to detect an abnormality were measured along with factors associated with ASE/ACE and DARE concordance.
FINDINGS: Among 714 enrolled individuals, the median age was 40 years (interquartile range, 32-54), 36.8% (259/703) were living with HIV, and 47.0% (334/710), 23.4% (166/710), and 23.0% (163/710) were non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic Black, and Hispanic, respectively. A total of 94.1% (671/713) identified as cisgendered men, and 5.9% (42/713) as gender minorities. A total of 658 participants completed an ASE and 28 couples (56 partners) completed an ACE. Clinicians detected abnormalities in 34.3% (245/714) of individuals. The abnormalities were a median of 3 mm in diameter. Sensitivity and specificity of the ASE/ACE was 59.6% (95% CI 53.5-65.7%) and 80.2% (95% CI 76.6-83.8%), respectively. Overall concordance was 0.73 (95% CI 0.70-0.76) between ASE/ACE and DARE and increased with increasing anal canal lesion size (p = 0.02). Concordance was lower when participants were older and received ASE/ACE training from a lay person rather than a clinician.
INTERPRETATION: Sexual minority men/transgender women may self-detect SCCA when malignant lesions are much smaller than the current mean dimension at presentation of ≥30 mm.
FUNDING: National Cancer Institute.
Author List
Nyitray AG, McAuliffe TL, Liebert C, Swartz MD, Deshmukh AA, Chiao EY, Weaver L, Almirol E, Kerman J, Schneider JA, Wilkerson JM, Hwang LY, Smith D, Hazra A, Prevent Anal Cancer Palpation Study TeamAuthors
Timothy L. McAuliffe PhD Professor in the Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine department at Medical College of WisconsinAlan Nyitray PhD Associate Professor in the Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine department at Medical College of Wisconsin
