CAPSULE CAM
Tiny camera in a pill will allow patients to check for bowel cancer at home
A TINY camera in a pill that allows patients to carry out cancer checks at home is being offered by the NHS.
The device is swallowed with water, then takes two pictures a second as it passes through.
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As well as picking up early signs of stomach and bowel cancer, it can help doctors spot other gut conditions such as Crohn’s disease.
The images are beamed to a hip-worn recorder which will allow medics to provide a diagnosis within hours.
Experts say that as well as being faster and more convenient, the £500 kit will spare patients an uncomfortable intimate examination.
NHS boss Sir Simon Stevens said: “As we come out of ‘peak Covid’ and the disruption of the pandemic, the NHS is now pushing ahead with genuine innovation to expand services for many other conditions.
"That’s why we’re now trialling these ingenious capsule cameras to allow more people to undergo cancer investigations quickly and safely. What sounds like sci-fi is now becoming a reality.”
As we come out of ‘peak Covid’, the NHS is pushing ahead with genuine innovation.
Sir Simon Stevens
Experts also say the tech cuts the risk of spreading Covid because there is no need for patients to go to hospital for a procedure where a tube is inserted in their bottoms.
NHS bosses will send out 11,000 of the at-home checks — known as a colon capsule endoscopy — to patients in more than 40 different parts of England over the next 12 months, as part of a £6million pilot.
If successful, they could be used routinely to check for cancer.
Sun columnist and stage 4 bowel cancer patient, Deborah James said the new tests could make a "huge difference".
"We know that an early diagnosis is the difference between life and death in many cases, and with bowel cancer being the UK's second deadliest cancer this could be a game changer," she told The Sun.
"We know there is a back log of thousands waiting for colonoscopies and with no capacity to support it, this could actually save lives.
"The future is happening now."
What is bowel cancer?
Bowel cancer is where the disease starts in the large intestines.
It's also referred to as colon or colorectal cancer, because it can also affect the colon and rectum.
Most bowel cancers develop from pre-cancerous growths, called polyps.
Not all will turn cancerous, but if your doctor finds any, they will tend to remove them to prevent cancer.
Bowel cancer is the fourth most common form of the disease in the UK, with 42,000 people diagnosed every year, according to Bowel Cancer UK.
More than 94 per cent of new cases are in people over the age of 50, while nearly 59 per cent are in the over 70s.
But bowel cancer can affect anyone, of any age with more than 2,500 cases diagnosed in people under the age of 50 each yea
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About half of patients are now waiting more than six weeks for a colonoscopy because of the Covid crisis — up from just one in eight a year earlier.
Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK, with more than 40,000 new cases annually. It kills 16,000 people a year.
But screening for the disease is estimated to save around 2,400 lives every year.
Currently the test is offered to everyone in England from the age of 60 - but across the border in Scotland screening starts at 50.
That's why The Sun launched the No Time 2 Lose campaign in April 2018, calling on the Government to lower the screening age in England - a move which could save around 4,500 lives a year.
The 6 ways you can prevent bowel cancer
T'S the second deadliest cancer in the UK but it can be prevented.
A few simple lifestyle changes can help stop bowel cancer striking in the first place.
They are:
- Get screened - if you are eligible, don't delay, book your screening test as soon as you get the letter
- Stop smoking - around 8 per cent of bowel cancer cases are linked to smoking
- Cut back on the booze - sticking to the recommended 14 units a week, that's six pints or 10 small glasses of wine, reduces your risk
- Get moving - aim to do 30 minutes of exercise a day
- Eat well - up your fibre intake, it's vital to keep your bowels moving and there's evidence to suggest cutting back on red meat helps
- Drugs work - there's no magic pill, but there is evidence to suggest a daily dose of aspirin lowers the risk of polyps, a precursor to bowel cancer
Most read in Health News
In the summer of 2018 health secretary Matt Hancock announced they would belowering the bowel cancer screening age - marking a victory for The Sun and campaigners.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
But, to date that promise has not been acted upon
Bowel Cancer UK chief executive Genevieve Edwards said: “This has the potential to make a huge difference for people with bowel cancer symptoms and could help the NHS to prioritise those who urgently need further tests.”
Kriss Akabusi talks about the importance of checking for bowel cancer
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