Public Health Articles | Today's Clinical Lab

With these rising rates, early-onset colorectal cancer has become the leading cause of cancer-related death for men under 50 and the second-leading cause for women under 50 in the United States.

What’s Behind the Enormous Increase in Early-Onset Gastrointestinal Cancers?

Oxford University Press

The incidence of early-onset colorectal cancer is increasing globally, particularly in high-income countries

Many rural hospitals will have to reduce their services or possibly close their doors altogether.

Rural Hospitals Will Be Hit Hard by Trump’s Signature Spending Package

Lauren S. Hughes, MD, MPH, MSc, MHCDS, FAAFP, Kevin J. Bennett, MS, PhD

Health policy experts predict that cuts to Medicaid will push more rural hospitals to close

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the law will result in 7.8 million Americans losing Medicaid coverage.

How Will Medicaid Cuts Disrupt Clinical Lab Reimbursements?

Today's Clinical Lab

As millions face loss of coverage, clinical laboratories must prepare for reimbursement shortfalls and shifting patient care demands

Nearly half of Americans get their health insurance through their employers.

Employers Are Failing to Insure the Working Class—Medicaid Cuts Will Leave Them Even More Vulnerable

Sumit Agarwal, MD, MPH, PhD

The Congressional Budget Office estimates 7.8 million people will lose Medicaid coverage under Trump’s new domestic policy law, including access to essential laboratory testing

Recent data from the World Health Organization indicate that there were 157,182 new cases in women in this age group and 124,269 deaths from the disease worldwide in 2022.

Women 65+ Still at Heightened Risk of Cervical Cancer Caused by HPV

BMJ-British Medical Journal

Screening is usually discontinued for women 65+ if their previous smear tests were normal despite rising global incidence of cervical cancer in this age group

With an eye toward improving care, researchers have developed new automated lab procedures for detecting opioids in tiny amounts of blood.

New Opioid Testing Techniques Could Lead to Better Therapies

Brown University

New diagnostic tools for detecting opioids in adults and infants could help health workers more effectively treat opioid-related conditions

Women who received the self-collection kits were more than twice as likely to participate in screening compared to those who received only a telephone reminder

Mailed HPV Self-Collection Kits Improve Cervical Screening Rates

University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

Study of nearly 2,500 women in Texas found self-collection tests were effective at increasing cervical cancer screening participation in underserved US population

Images of positive CT colonography (CTC) screening examination result in an asymptomatic 67-year-old man. Three-dimensional colon map from CTC (left image) shows the location of two sigmoid polyps that were detected (red dots). Three-dimensional endoluminal and confirmatory two-dimensional transverse CTC images show a large 1.6-cm pedunculated polyp on top row (arrow) and a 9-mm pedunculated polyp in the distal sigmoid on the bottom row (arrow). Both polyps were confirmed and resected at optical colonoscopy performed the same day (right images), avoiding the need for a second bowel preparation. The larger polyp proved to be a tubulovillous adenoma (large advanced adenoma), whereas the smaller polyp was a nonadvanced tubular adenoma. Compare this level of information of a positive CTC screening test result with a positive multitarget stool DNA test result, for which no specific information is provided.

CT Colonography Beats Stool DNA Testing for Colon Cancer Screening

Radiological Society of North America

While both screening methods were clinically effective compared to no screening, one of them led to a better reduction of colorectal cancer incidence

Photo of a warning sign with the image of a tick on it nailed to a tree on a forest trail.

Rethinking Lyme Disease Testing: A New Approach to Early and Accurate Detection

Jason Barker, ND

New research marks a promising step toward rethinking how we identify and manage Lyme disease and related infections in the clinical lab

Photo of two HIV vaccine glass vials and a syringe against a light blue background.

2 HIV Vaccine Trials Show Proof of Concept for Pathway to Broadly Neutralizing Antibodies

The Scripps Research Institute

North American and African clinical trials led by Scripps Research, IAVI, and additional collaborators across the US and Africa mark progress toward an effective HIV vaccine

Inside the Testing Strategies Tackling America’s STI Syndemic

Today's Clinical Lab

Explore studies, workflows, and strategies that use rapid, point-of-care tools to overcome barriers to testing and treatment access for syphilis, HIV, and HCV

Photo of a laboratory scientist's gloved hand holding up a water sample from a river to be tested for antibiotics.

Antibiotics from Human Use Are Contaminating Rivers Worldwide, Study Shows

McGill University

Researchers estimated about 8,500 tons of antibiotics end up in river systems each year after passing through the human body and wastewater systems

“When it comes to obstetric or delivery emergencies, rural patients are at higher risk for poorer outcomes than their urban counterparts,” said Jennifer Roye, the assistant dean of simulation and technology at the College of Nursing and Health Innovation. “That is all the more reason to train those nurses out there on how to take care of emergency situations to save moms and save babies.”

UTA Takes Lead with Mobile Lab to Address Rural Health Care Crisis

University of Texas at Arlington

The College of Nursing and Innovation’s Center for Rural Health and Nursing launches cutting-edge unit to tackle workforce and training challenges

The FY2026 budget proposal includes devastating cuts to NIH of $18 billion, which would result in a nearly 40 percent cut in NIH’s budget for lifesaving research

AACR Calls on Congress to Summarily Reject the President’s FY2026 Budget Proposal for NIH

American Association for Cancer Research

The FY2026 budget proposal includes devastating cuts to NIH of $18 billion, which would result in a nearly 40 percent cut in NIH’s budget for lifesaving research