Screening for Anal Cancer in Men Who Have Sex With Men Using Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis

"The intervention in this study involves the anal smear collection using the FLOQSwab® (COPAN, pouch type 502CS01). The swab is inserted 3-5 cm into the anal canal, reaching the transitional zone, the pressed against the canal wall and withdrawn in a spiral motion over approximately 20 seconds. After collection, the swab is immediately placed into a ThinPrep vial containing 20 ml of PreservCyt® and rinsed vigorously.~The procedure is performed by a physician or trained study team member and is designed to be quick, minimally invasive, and comfortable for participants. The FLOQSwab®'s patient-friendly design reduces irritation and false-positive results in comparison to earlier methods.~Samples collected in the ThinPrep PreservCyt® solution should be stored at room temperature and transferred to AML within a maximum of six weeks"

"It includes questions related to:~Socio-demographic characteristics Health-related issues Past HPV vaccination (indication? age at vaccination?) History of condylomata and/or other STIs Drug use, tobacco use, alcohol use Anal symptoms: discomfort, itch, pain, nodules, blood loss/discharge, constipation Sexual behavior Insertive/receptive intercourse, chemsex, number of sex partners (stable, occasional, anonymous), condom use."

"This questionnaire will be used after a negative HRA or during the communication of the results (per telephone) and during the treatment if indicated. This questionnaire assesses the impact of health conditions and treatments on person's quality of life. We will use an adapted version of the EQ-5D-5L. This modified version includes additional questions tailored to assess specific domains highlighted in the A-HRSI.~The additional items cover:~* Physical Symptoms: Question on anal symptoms such as pain, discharge, and burning sensations.~* Impact on Physical Functioning: Question on how these symptoms affect daily activities, including work, sitting, and social interactions.~* Impact on Psychological Functioning: Question on psychological and sexual well-being, including enjoyment and desire for sex, as well as challenges with intimacy."

"HRA will be conducted using advanced tools, such as the Zeiss Extaro at UZ Brussel.~HRA will be conducted at participating centers with expertise in the technique, including UZ Brussel, UZ Gent, UZ Leuven, UZ Antwerpen, CHU St Pierre, AZ Sint-Jan Brugge, and Citadelle Liège. However, all biopsy specimens will be sent to AML Lab for analysis and stored in the biobank (BB190002).~In certain centers, HRA is performed using high-resolution scopes."