Overview

• The Lancet study enrolled 910 patients across 13 UK hospitals and demonstrates that the capsule sponge test can effectively collect oesophageal cells without endoscopy.
• Researchers found that 54% of participants were classified as low risk and could safely forgo routine endoscopies while 15% were identified as high risk for cancer progression.
• The minimally invasive procedure requires patients to swallow a capsule attached to a string that releases a sponge to sample cells before being retrieved.
• The test is already in use at several NHS hospitals and can be administered by nurses in GP clinics, which could expand access and ease pressure on specialist services.
• Early detection is critical given that fewer than one in five oesophageal cancer patients survive more than five years after diagnosis.