Researchers have developed a test for early detection of an esophageal adenocarcinoma precursor lesion that uses a swallowable balloon to collect DNA samples from the bottom of the esophagus, according to a report published in Science Translation Medicine.
Early detection can help prevent esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC), however, that has traditionally required an endoscopy, which is both expensive and invasive. Clinicians can use the new device, developed by Amitabh Chak, MD, of the Case Western Reserve School of Medicine and University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center and colleagues, in a 5-minute, outpatient test to detect Barrett’s esophagus (BE), according to a press release.
“Symptoms of [BE], such as heartburn, can also be commonly seen in individuals who have acid reflux disease without BE. These symptoms can easily be treated by over the counter medications, so people often don’t get tested for BE, particularly by an invasive test such as endoscopy,” Chak said in the press release. “As a result, when individuals develop EAC, 95% of the time the presence of the prior [BE] was undetected and unknown. We wanted an easier, less costly test that could provide a practical way for screening and early detection of individuals with BE, who can then be followed closely to prevent development of EAC.”
Instead of undergoing an endoscopy, patients can swallow a pill-sized capsule attached to a thin catheter. Once the capsule reaches the stomach, a balloon is inflated and maneuvered to swab the lower esophagus, where BE typically begins. The balloon is then deflated, and the capsule is retrieved through the mouth, according to the press release.
In clinical trials, 82% of patients reported little to no anxiety, pain or choking, and 95% said they would recommend the test to others, according to the press release.
Helen R. Moinova, PhD, of the department of medicine at Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, led a parallel study to identify DNA changes that could help diagnose BE. Using DNA collected from 300 esophagus endoscopy samples, researchers identified two genes, VIM and CCNA1, that were chemically modified by DNA methylation in BE. The test was 90% accurate in detecting BE or recognizing a normal esophagus, per the press release.
A clinical trial of 86 patients who underwent the swallowable balloon test was similarly successful in detecting BE with more than 90% accuracy.
Source: https://www.healio.com/gastroenterology/esophagus/news/online/%7Be1fcf42a-e40f-4bbd-8d3b-8212f4ce7c7e%7D/swallowable-device-detects-pre-cancerous-barretts-esophagus
For Further Information
More on the GI endoscopy market in the U.S. can be found in a series of reports published by iData Research entitled the U.S. Market Report Suite for Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Devices. The suite covers reports on the following markets: GI flexible endoscopy, capsule endoscopy, virtual colonoscopy, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), stenting and dilation, biopsy, specimen and foreign-body removal, hemostasis, enteral feeding, anti-reflux, and Barret’s Esophagus.
The iData report series on GI endoscopic devices covers the U.S. and 15 countries in Europe including Germany, France, the United Kingdom (U.K.), Italy, Spain, Benelux (Belgium, Netherlands and Luxemburg), Scandinavia (Finland, Denmark, Sweden and Norway), Portugal, Austria and Switzerland. Reports provide a comprehensive analysis including units sold, procedure numbers, market value, forecasts, as well as detailed competitive market shares and analysis of major players’ success strategies in each market and segment. To find out more about GI market data or procedure data, register online or email us at info@idataresearch.net for a U.S. Market Report Suite for Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Devices brochure and synopsis.
