Some diagnostic procedures are never fun. Take, for example, endoscopy, which is usually an unpleasant but a necessary process to diagnose esophageal cancer in its early stages.
However, Cancer Research UK has devised a way to make it simpler, easier, more practical, and less invasive: a sponge.
During the yearly conference of the National Cancer Research Institute, Cancer Research UK presented the results of a trial that aims to provide a much better alternative to the conventional endoscopy test.
To perform an endoscopy, the doctor inserts a thin but flexible tube into the mouth, which then passes through the esophagus. The camera attached at the end of the tube then displays visuals on the small monitor screen so you can see what's inside your body in real time and doctors can perform their diagnosis and interpretations quickly as well.
The procedure that lasts for about an hour, though, is often uncomfortable, and so doctors give patients the option to be sedated to help them feel relaxed.
With the possibly new technology and procedure, many issues with endoscopy may already be resolved. It involves swallowing a capsule with the cytosponge attached to a string. The capsule then dissolves inside your body for around 5 minutes and the sponge starts to collect cell samples around the esophagus. To remove the sponge, the doctor then pulls out the string slowly.
To test its efficacy, more than a thousand people participated in the trial. They represented two groups. Around 600 people with Barrett's Esophagus, a condition often associated with esophageal cancer, made up the first group. The second one were individuals who have acid reflux or heartburn, making the traditional endoscopy procedure more complicated.
After taking the cytosponge, around 94% didn't report any kind of side effect, although in a video found in the Cancer Research UK page, some patients mentioned that it felt like something was scratching the back of their throats.