A ‘pill-on-a-thread’ test has been recommended to detect early-stage cancer

A ‘pill-on-a-thread’ test has been recommended as the routine device to detect Barrett’s oesophagus and early-stage oesophageal cancer in people with chronic reflux.

Barrett’s oesophagus is a condition diagnosed by changes in the cells of the oesophagus. These changes can lead to an increased risk for oesophageal cancer, so it is important that people diagnosed with the condition are regularly screened. Up until now, this has meant regular endoscopies, which can be uncomfortable and have a long waiting list, but the new guidance published by Health Technology Wales recommends replacing half of all these screening endoscopies with the quicker and easier capsule sponge test. 

Welcoming the news, Greg Pycroft, our Policy and Public Affairs Manager, said:

Capsule sponge devices are small capsules like tablets that can be swallowed. They are attached to a string. Once swallowed, the capsule dissolves and a sponge from inside is released and expands. The string is then pulled to bring the sponge back up through the throat, collecting cells on the way. The cells are then sent to a lab to see if they are changing shape.

Oesophageal cancer is difficult to treat, with fewer than one in five patients surviving for five or more years following diagnosis, a figure that has barely changed over the past three decades. At the same time, the number of people diagnosed with the disease has increased four-fold since the 1970s.