Sponge on string could replace endoscopy in patients with Barrett’s oesophagus

A pill that expands into a sponge when swallowed could be used by GPs to identify which people with Barrett’s oesophagus have a low risk of developing oesophageal cancer and could avoid the need for endoscopies, researchers at Cancer Research UK have found.1

Determining which patients with Barrett’s oesophagus, which can lead to oesophageal cancer in a small number of people, have a low risk of developing cancer could help to reduce overdiagnosis and overtreatment in this group, said the researchers.

About one in …