Anal Cancer Screening Rates Among Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex With Men and Transgender Women Presenting for Services at a Community-Based Clinic.

PURPOSE: To evaluate anal cancer screening rates among men who have sex with men (MSM), transgender women (TGW), and people living with HIV (PLWH) at a community-based lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) clinic.

METHODS

We reviewed anal cancer screening rates from April 2023 to April 2025 among MSM, TGW and PLWH receiving care at an LGBTQ+ clinic in Providence, Rhode Island. Bivariate analyses and logistic regression were used to explore factors associated with anal cancer screening.

RESULTS

A total of N=302 individuals were eligible for anal cancer screening based on clinical guidelines during the evaluation period. Anal cancer screening was performed in 14.2% of eligible individuals, with 6.3% reporting abnormal results. In the multivariate analysis, after adjusting for age, race, and ethnicity, being a PLWH was associated with anal cancer screening (OR: 2.60; 95% CI: 1.31-5.52). A total of N=17 individuals had a high-resolution anoscopy performed (N=9 with atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance and N=8 with low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions on cytology). Of those with anoscopy performed, 59% had abnormal pathology (N=4 Anal intraepithelial neoplasia [AIN] stage 1; N=4 AIN2; N=2 AIN3). No individuals were diagnosed with anal cancer.

CONCLUSION

Improved efforts are needed to screen at-risk populations for anal cancer in community settings.