United Kingdom

UK: NHS Pilots 'Sponge on String' Cancer Test in Pharmacies

JUL 9 2025·Updated JUL 10 2025

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Above: Acute myelocytic leukemia (AML). Image credit: Unsplash

The Facts

NHS England has announced a pilot scheme offering "sponge on a string" tests in dozens of pharmacies across England to detect Barrett's esophagus, a precursor to esophageal cancer.
guardian
The Sun
NHS England
The test involves a patient swallowing a small pill on a thread that expands into a penny-sized sponge in the stomach. After several minutes, the sponge is withdrawn, which collects cells from the esophagus lining for laboratory analysis.
NHS England
The test will be available to those with "persistent heartburn or acid reflux." It will be rolled out early next year to 1,500 patients in London and the East Midlands as part of an NHS partnership with high street chemist Boots and gastrointestinal diagnostics company Cyted Health.
NHS England
The test is already used in hospitals and community diagnostic centers to reduce the need for invasive endoscopies. If pre-cancerous cells are found, treatment can be offered through endoscopy or radiofrequency ablation procedures to remove abnormal cells before they develop into cancer.
Pharmacy Business
guardian
The program is part of the NHS's 10-Year Health Plan to shift care from hospitals to the community and is one of seven pilot schemes backed by a £15 million ($20.4 million) grant under the NHS Cancer Programme's Innovation Open Call.
NHS England
Independent
Express.co.uk
Of the nearly 10,000 patients diagnosed with esophageal cancer in the U.K. annually, 80% are at a late stage, where only 20% survive one year, making early detection crucial for improving survival rates.
The Telegraph
Independent

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The Spin

Pro-government narrative

This pharmacy-based scheme has the potential to make life-saving cancer screening more accessible than ever before by bringing convenient testing directly to the high street while freeing endoscopies for high-risk patients. If successful, this could mean the difference between life and death for thousands of patients who currently fall through the cracks.

NHS England

Government-critical narrative

While early testing is always welcome, the NHS must also do more to improve its treatment of aggressive cancers like esophageal cancer. Currently, those suffering from these types of cancer continue to face a poor prognosis and lower chances of survival. As such, the NHS must urgently sponsor additional clinical trials to examine potential new treatments that could save lives.