We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress hp
Sign In
Advertise with Us
ARAB HEALTH - INFORMA

Download Mobile App




Sponge on a String Test Could Replace Endoscopies

By HospiMedica International staff writers
Posted on 14 Aug 2020
Print article
The Cytosponge contained in the capsule and fully expanded (Photo courtesy of Cambridge University)
The Cytosponge contained in the capsule and fully expanded (Photo courtesy of Cambridge University)
A minimally invasive sampling device to diagnose Barrett's esophagus (BE) can identify ten times more people than standard routes, claims a new study.

Developed by researchers at Cambridge University (United Kingdom), King’s College London (KCL; United Kingdom), and other institutions, the Cytosponge is made of a material with just enough abrasiveness to collect cells without damaging tissue. For the BE test, it is swallowed by the patient while still inside a dissolvable capsule with a string attached to it. Five minutes later, after the capsule has dissolved, the string is pulled to retrieve the sponge, collecting cells on the way. These are then sent to the lab for analysis, like a biopsy sample.

The test can be performed in a general practitioner’s (GP) office and can help doctors decide who needs to undergo a follow-up endoscopy. For the study, the researchers studied 13,222 participants who were randomly allocated to being offered the sponge test or regular care. Over the course of a year, the odds of detecting BE were tenfold in those offered the Cytosponge, with 140 cases diagnosed compared to 13 in usual care. In addition, the Cytosponge diagnosed five cases of early cancer, whereas only one case of early cancer was detected in the usual care group. The study was published on August 1, 2020, in The Lancet.

“It's taken almost a decade of research and testing thousands of patients to show that we've developed a better route to diagnosing Barrett's esophagus. And the sponge could also be a game-changer in how we diagnose and ensure more people survive esophageal cancer,” said lead author Professor Rebecca Fitzgerald, MD, of the University of Cambridge. “Compared with endoscopies performed in hospital, the Cytosponge causes minimal discomfort and is a quick, simple test that can be done by a GP. Our test is already being piloted around the country, so we hope more people across the UK could benefit from it.”

“The results of this trial exceeded my most optimistic expectations. Use of Professor Fitzgerald's simple invention will hopefully lead to a significant reduction in the number of people dying from esophageal cancer over the next 20 years,” said senior author Professor Peter Sasieni, PhD, of KCL. “This trial found that both patients and staff were happy with the Cytosponge test and it is practical to consider rolling it out within the NHS.”

Barrett's esophagus refers to an abnormal change (metaplasia) in the cells of the lower portion of the esophagus, when the normal squamous epithelium lining is replaced by goblet cells, which are usually found lower in the gastrointestinal tract. The medical significance of BE is its strong association with esophageal adenocarcinoma, a particularly lethal form of cancer.

Related Links:

Cambridge University
King's College London
Gold Member
STI Test
Vivalytic Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) Array
Gold Member
12-Channel ECG
CM1200B
New
Diagnostic Ultrasound System
MS1700C
New
Transcatheter Heart Valve
SAPIEN 3 Ultra

Print article

Channels

Surgical Techniques

view channel
Image: (Left) An image of a 3D-printed material implanted in vivo for 4 weeks. (Right) A photo of coral (Photo courtesy of Dr Zhidao Xia and Jesus Cobaleda)

Revolutionary Coral-Inspired Material for Bone Repair Promotes Faster Healing

Bone defects caused by fractures, tumors, and non-healing injuries are major contributors to disability worldwide. Traditionally, doctors have used either a patient’s own bone (autograft) or donor bone... Read more

Patient Care

view channel
Image: The portable biosensor platform uses printed electrochemical sensors for the rapid, selective detection of Staphylococcus aureus (Photo courtesy of AIMPLAS)

Portable Biosensor Platform to Reduce Hospital-Acquired Infections

Approximately 4 million patients in the European Union acquire healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) or nosocomial infections each year, with around 37,000 deaths directly resulting from these infections,... Read more

Health IT

view channel
Image: First ever institution-specific model provides significant performance advantage over current population-derived models (Photo courtesy of Mount Sinai)

Machine Learning Model Improves Mortality Risk Prediction for Cardiac Surgery Patients

Machine learning algorithms have been deployed to create predictive models in various medical fields, with some demonstrating improved outcomes compared to their standard-of-care counterparts.... Read more

Point of Care

view channel
Image: The acoustic pipette uses sound waves to test for biomarkers in blood (Photo courtesy of Patrick Campbell/CU Boulder)

Handheld, Sound-Based Diagnostic System Delivers Bedside Blood Test Results in An Hour

Patients who go to a doctor for a blood test often have to contend with a needle and syringe, followed by a long wait—sometimes hours or even days—for lab results. Scientists have been working hard to... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2024 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.