Cancer Research U.K. has launched a large, multicenter trial to test a new device for detecting Barrett's esophagus, a condition that puts sufferers at increased risk of developing cancer of the esophagus.
The trial will examine whether a new test called the cytosponge could provide an improved method of identifying patients with Barrett's esophagus so they can be offered treatment to reduce their risk of esophageal cancer, the researchers explained in a news release.
The test involves patients swallowing a small capsule with a string attached, which dissolves in the stomach and expands to form a 3-cm sponge. The sponge is gently drawn back out using the string, removing a small sample of the cells lining the esophagus as it passes. The cell sample can then be tested in the lab for early signs of cancer.
Each test should cost approximately $40, compared with $650 for a traditional endoscopy, and the procedure is far less invasive, the researchers noted.
"If this trial is successful, it will provide a cheap, safe, and highly effective method of identifying people with Barrett's esophagus so they can take steps to reduce their risk of developing cancer," said Rebecca Fitzgerald, PhD, chief investigator. "This would open the doors for a national screening program, much like those offered for breast, cervical, and bowel cancers, to help prevent esophageal cancer among the one to two people in every 100 with Barrett's esophagus who go on to develop the disease."
Earlier pilot studies found that patients significantly preferred cytosponge compared to endoscopy (British Medical Journal, September 10, 2010). This latest study will look more closely at the accuracy of the test and identify new biomarkers for diagnosing the different grades of Barrett's esophagus more reliably.
