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'I'm happy to be a guinea pig in cancer screening trial'

David SavilleNorth West
News imageCancer Research UK A healthcare worker wearing gloves and a protective apron removes a capsule sponge device from the mouth of a seated trial participant inside a mobile screening unit. The procedure uses a thread attached to a small sponge, which is collected after being swallowed and expanded in the stomach. The image illustrates the "pill-on-a-thread" test being used to collect cells from the oesophagus as part of oesophageal cancer screening research.Cancer Research UK
Senior research nurse Irene Debiram-Beecham is giving patients the procedure from a mobile unit

A man who volunteered for a pioneering cancer screening trial has said he's "more than happy to be a guinea pig" if it helps others in the future.

Paul Burrows, 70, from Inskip, Fylde, is among people recruited to test a new "pill-on-a-thread" device which researchers hope could pave the way for national screening that could transform the early detection of oesophageal cancer.

The trial, backed by Cancer Research UK and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), is now being rolled out in Lancashire through mobile screening vans based in Penwortham and Preston.

Burrows, who has suffered from heartburn for a decade, said he was keen to take part if it could help future patients.

"The pill on the thread sounds fascinating," he said. "I'm more than happy to be a guinea pig and help out in a clinical trial if it will help others in the future."

The test is aimed at people who take regular medication for chronic heartburn or acid reflux, a common symptom of Barrett's oesophagus, a condition which can increase the risk of developing oesophageal cancer.

How it works

Participants swallow a small capsule attached to a thread. Once in the stomach, the capsule expands into a sponge which collects cells from the oesophagus before being gently removed for analysis.

Researchers hope the procedure could provide a quicker and less invasive alternative to endoscopy, which currently requires a hospital appointment and a camera examination of the food pipe.

About 9,300 people are diagnosed with oesophageal cancer in the UK each year, according to Cancer Research UK.

News imageClose-up of a gloved hand holding the components of a capsule sponge test. The image shows a compressed capsule attached to a thin string alongside the expanded black sponge it releases after dissolving in the stomach. The device is used to collect cells from the oesophagus as part of research into earlier detection of oesophageal cancer.
A gelatine capsule dissolves in the stomach and releases a small sponge which collects cells from the lining of the oesophagus as it's removed

Alexandra Williams, a senior clinical research nurse at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said earlier diagnosis was key to improving survival rates.

"We hope that the BEST4 Screening trial will help us identify more people earlier and crucially reduce deaths from oesophageal cancer," she said.

The study aims to recruit 120,000 people across the UK and could provide the evidence needed for a future NHS screening programme.

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