The first participant has been recruited on a pivotal trial of a “pill-on-a-thread” test, which will decide if it becomes a new screening programme for oesophageal cancer.
Cancer Research UK funded previous clinical trials demonstrating the test is safe and accurate. The BEST3 trial, which was supported by the NIHR, showed the test picks up 10 times more cases of Barrett’s oesophagus in people with chronic heartburn, compared to endoscopy.
The capsule sponge starts off as a small, coated pill attached to a thread. When a patient swallows the pill and it reaches the stomach, the coating dissolves and the sponge inside it expands to the size of a 50p coin. The sponge collects cells from the oesophagus as it is gently pulled out from the stomach by a nurse or GP. The cells are sent for testing for two proteins called Trefoil Factor 3 (TFF3), which is only found in Barrett’s oesophagus, and altered p53 protein, which identifies cells which are starting to grow out of control and become oesophageal cancer.
Paul Anderson, 59, a stock controller from St Neots, Cambridgeshire, is one of the first participants to join the new trial. He said:
“I’d never been on a clinical trial before, but when the invitation came for this one, I felt I had to sign up as the acid reflux had flared back up again. I’m hoping that it may give me some more insight into my chronic heartburn, as well as helping people who may have similar concerns about their health. I’m hopeful that playing my small part in this worthy cause will help others to get checked out earlier.”
Professor Rebecca Fitzgerald, is Director of the Early Cancer Institute at the University of Cambridge, and the trial’s co-principal investigator. She said:
“The capsule sponge is changing how we detect Barrett’s oesophagus and oesophageal cancer. Catching it earlier can save lives by reducing the need for chemotherapy and surgery to remove the oesophagus.
“The BEST4 Screening trial is the pinnacle of many years of painstaking research, which has demonstrated that the capsule sponge can reliably identify Barrett’s oesophagus. Thousands of people have already benefited in trials and pilot programmes, and now we’re taking the test to the next level to see if we could offer this to everyone with heartburn.
“The BEST4 Screening trial could fundamentally transform the lives of people affected by oesophageal cancer by providing the crucial evidence needed to make it a viable screening programme, rolled out to every part of the UK.”
This article is reproduced from a more in depth news piece on NIHR News: First participant recruited on landmark cancer screening trial
Image: CUH