“Pill on a thread”: How a capsule sponge test could transform esophageal cancer monitoring

Research recently hit the headlines of an easy to swallow, capsule on a thread containing a compressed sponge, which could replace endoscopies for half of patients being monitored for esophageal cancer. In this interview, we delve deeper into the work behind this “pill on a thread” approach to monitoring Barrett’s esophagus (BE) by speaking with W. Keith Tan (University of Cambridge, UK), lead author on this study, to find out how it could impact clinical practice. What are the challenges with monitoring BE with routine endoscopies? Routine endoscopic surveillance of BE poses several challenges. Firstly, endoscopy is costly, not just...