Motion: A Step Forward in Diagnosing Barrett’s Oesophagus

A Step Forward in Diagnosing Barrett’s Oesophagus

Lodged by Patricia Ferguson Standard Motion 28 supporters

The motion

That the Parliament acknowledges the development of cytosponge, a new diagnostic test that can detect Barrett’s oesophagus, which, it understands, is a condition in which acid reflux damages the layers of cells that line the oesophagus, increasing the chance of the cells becoming abnormal and cancerous; notes that it has traditionally been diagnosed using endoscopy but that Professor Rebecca Fitzgerald and fellow researchers at the University of Cambridge have been trialling the cytosponge on volunteers since 2011 and that findings suggest that it is as successful as endoscopy in diagnosing the condition but is a less invasive procedure; understands that the cost of an endoscopy is approximately £600 compared with £25 per cytosponge investigation; welcomes the development of this new test, which could be undertaken in GP surgeries, leading to the earlier diagnosis of Barrett’s oesophagus and oesophageal cancer and to an improvement in the current survival rate of 15% after five years, and looks forward to it becoming a diagnostic tool in Scotland.

Supporters (28)