Heartburn Cancer UK are sharing some exciting news with the launch of their mobile diagnostics unit.
In partnership with project DELTA, the cancer charity have started a pilot scheme using The Cytosponge to screen for Barrett’s Oesophagus and oesophageal cancer in a community setting.
Cytosponge has previously been made available through some hospitals for the monitoring of Barrett's, so this is an important next step to trying to make it more widely available. The charity have shared photos of the unit in its first location, Shelford Medical Practice Cambridge, when it was being prepared for it's first patients, and shared a video about the medical diagnostics unit.
The Cytosponge or "Heartburn Sponge Test" is a small capsule on a string which is swallowed by a patient. It expands in the stomach to form a sponge and is then removed a few minutes later, collecting cells from the inner lining of the oesophagus. (Watch Heartburn Cancer UK's video on Cytosponge technology).
The test has been developed at the University of Cambridge, rigorously tested and shown to be safe and acceptable to thousands of patients in a large multi-centre trial.
It’s use in primary care will reduce the need for invasive endoscopies, saving NHS funds and the time of patients and professionals alike. It will help reduce the backlog in screening, increase rates of early diagnosis and ultimately, save lives.
Most of those who will access The Cytosponge during the pilot have been selected by their GP according to their medical history, however, there is the opportunity for a limited number of patients who might be interested in having the test to self-refer, if they: live in the Cambridgeshire area, suffer with heartburn/acid reflux, regularly buy medicine over the counter to help, and would be interested in having the Cytosponge test. If so, call 01223 761085 or email irene.debiram1@nhs.net for more information.
