Camera pill designed to find cancers

Cancer cameras on trial - 29th March 2021

Minute cameras small enough to be swallowed are about to be trialled by 11,000 patients in the UK as part of the National Health Service’s fight against bowel cancer.

Once swallowed, the camera, encased in a transparent pill, journeys through the digestive system taking two photos per second. These images are stored by a data recorder strapped onto the patient, who is free to continue their normal activities.

The trial will establish whether the 'PillCam' can replace more invasive methods of testing for bowel cancer. Traditional endoscopies are complex and uncomfortable procedures. Professor Peter Johnson, NHS clinical director for cancer, has high hopes for the new approach.

"Every year in England, we diagnose around 42,000 people with bowel cancer, that's more than 100 people a day. We think that this camera test might be a better option than waiting for a normal colonoscopy.”

Bowel cancer causes around 16,600 deaths in the UK every year, according to Cancer Research UK. Early detection is key for patient survival, and the PillCam gives consultants a unique way to explore the digestive system. It may enable earlier diagnosis of some cancers, making them easier to treat.

Professor Johnson described how fear of existing procedures reduces outcomes. "We know that there are people out there – they may well have early symptoms, aches and pains, bloating in the stomach, blood in their poo – and they haven't come forward."

Hospital waiting lists for routine bowel cancer screenings are long and anxiety inducing. By contrast, this innovative treatment will enable patients to take charge of their screening from the comfort of their own home. What's more, it will relieve pressure on already stretched hospitals.