Thousands of UK patients who have experienced symptoms of bowel cancer are in line to receive a special drug capsule that stores a tiny camera inside of it.
The NHS will soon begin to national trial to check for a variety of cancers using a miniature camera that patients can swallow.
The PillCams ( aka a colon capsule endoscopy ) as the name suggests is no bigger than a pill and packs cutting-edge imaging technology to provide a snappy diagnosis.
The new technology would allow patients to access the cancer check at home while going about their normal day. This means they avoid having to travel to a hospital for a traditional endoscopy and having to have a tube inserted with a camera attached.
NHS Chief Executive Sir Simon Stevens explained that as the NHS “comes 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, and as these minute cameras pass through your body, they take two pictures per second checking for signs of cancer and other conditions like Crohn’s disease.”
The first group of patients includes around 11,000 NHS patients in over 40 locations. The trial will also relieve stress on the NHS which is looking to rebuild capacity after the COVID pandemic.
