Submitted by Dr Hayley B. Wo... on Thu, 22/07/2021 - 17:10
A new mobile screening unit offering the Cytosponge test, developed by Rebecca Fitzgerald (Department of Oncology, MRC Cancer Unit and co-lead Early Detection Programme), has opened at GP practices in the East of England. Patients on medication for heartburn will be invited to have the 10 minute test to screen for Barrett’s oesophagus, a pre-cancerous condition, or early signs of oesophageal cancer. Cancer Research UK was the main funder of the BEST3 Cytosponge trial which picked up 10 times more cases of Barrett’s oesophagus than the GP’s usual first course of action. More information
It was also announced this month that Scotland is the first country in the world to implement the use of the Cytosponge across all mainland Scottish health boards in a national screening programme. More information