Change to the ANCHOR Study end date: March 31, 2024
The ANCHOR study is ending follow-up visits on March 31, 2024. This is six months earlier than planned. You can still have usual study visits until this date.
This change is happening because our funding is ending, and because medical care guidelines for anal cancer prevention are changing soon. Screening people with HIV for anal high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (anal HSIL), is becoming standard medical care. If anal HSIL is found, treating it is now recommended. These changes are the result of your participation in the ANCHOR Study. We will share this information with you when changes in the guidelines are announced.
The study has already answered its main question, so this change to close follow-up early does not affect the study’s results. However, you may have questions about what this change means for you and your medical care. We will discuss this with you before the study ends, and we encourage you to contact your study team or the National team through the website if you have questions now. All participants will receive a summary of their study-related medical care and a care referral plan after the last visit.
If you have a study visit planned before March 31, 2024, we look forward to seeing you and will discuss the next steps for your care when you come to the clinic. If you do not have a visit planned before March 31, 2024, we will contact you in the next few months to discuss the study’s end and refer you for continued medical care, outside of the study.
Thank you again for your participation and your partnership! The study’s success would not have been possible without you. We wish you and your loved ones a happy holiday season and a healthy start to 2024.