A small capsule-sized camera that can be swallowed and provides images of the inside of the esophagus can trigger cancer and gastrointestinal diseases. The device, which will be tested in a test conducted by the National Health Service (NHS) in England, will be used by patients at home as a substitute for endoscopy.
“What looks like sci-fi is now coming to fruition,” said Sir Simon Stevens, chief executive of NHS England. “These minute cameras go through your body, they take two pictures every second checking for signs of cancer and other conditions such as Crohn’s disease.”
The trial, announced on March 11, will initially involve 11,000 patients from 40 provinces in England. Participants of the colon capsule endoscopy will be sent home.
The capsule usually takes 5 to 8 hours to pass through the digestive system. As the capsule passes through the abdomen, images are sent to a data logger in a shoulder bag.
The lawsuit is being filed by the University Hospitals Foundation NHS Trust London (UCL), London, United Kingdom. The researchers have created guidelines on using the device at home.
“Not only does a colon capsule increase our diagnostic capacity, as facilities are not required in a dedicated hospital space to perform the examination, it will also allow us to perform the examination in the patient’s home, and as those are patients who may be scared or cautious. Going to a hospital can perform the procedure in the comfort of their own homes, ”said Ed Seward, MD, PhD, director of endoscopy at UCL.
The move is in response to an increase in patients coming forward for cancer studies after the slowdown in cancer services caused by COVID-19 pandemic. In December, more than 200,000 people turned up, an increase of 13,000 over the same month a year earlier.
Traditional endoscopy services are still offered, although endoscopies take longer to carry due to infection control measures that must be used to ensure that patients receiving endoscopies do not contract COVID-19. This in turn means that fewer people can go through endscopies over a given period of time.
“We welcome any initiative that seeks to simplify the early diagnosis of gastrointestinal disease and, in particular, colorectal cancer, which unfortunately unfortunately is responsible for many avoidable deaths. , “said Alastair McKinlay, MD, president of the British Association of Gastroenterology.
“Colon capsule is a promising new technology that can be of real benefit to some patients. For this reason, we welcome the opportunity for proper service evaluation until both limits are reached. and properly evaluate the benefits of this approach, “he said.
“This has the potential to make a real difference to people with symptoms of bowel cancer and could help the NHS prioritize those who need further testing,” said Genevieve Edwards, chief executive at Bowel Cancer UK .
Funding for the study was not announced. Relevant financial relationships have not been disclosed.
For more from Medscape Oncology, join us Twitter and Facebook.