Patients often have to wait weeks to get the all-clear – but new technology may help cut down waiting times.
A medical technology trial utilizing iPhones for the detection of throat cancer is currently being conducted by the NHS in response to an increase in referrals that has led to significant waiting list backlogs.
Patients experiencing anxiety often endure prolonged waits of several weeks to receive confirmation of their health status. However, the introduction of a new camera device attached to a smartphone aims to capture images in real-time, enabling specialists to examine potential cancer indicators and provide feedback within hours.
Janet Hennessy, a 76-year-old resident of Bradeley in Stoke-on-Trent who participated in the study, noted that traditional procedures typically required up to three weeks for results. “I believe the app is absolutely brilliant,” she remarked. Dr. Cally Palmer, the NHS national cancer director, emphasized the importance of early cancer detection in facilitating timely treatment, thereby enhancing patients’ chances of survival. “For individuals requiring tests to assess suspected cancer, the waiting period can be extremely distressing, and the ability to eliminate the disease sooner can significantly impact both patients and their families,” she stated.
Ajith George, a consultant head and neck surgeon at University Hospitals North Midlands NHS Trust, remarked that the device has provided the necessary “radical change” to the cancer referral system, particularly as many NHS trusts struggle to meet patient demand. “Optimizing services allows for a greater focus on those unfortunate patients who receive a cancer diagnosis,” Mr. George added.
The NHS faces mounting pressure to enhance its performance amid challenges related to cancer treatment timelines, with Cancer Research UK estimating in September that over 300,000 patients could experience delays by 2029. Typically, individuals suspected of having throat cancer undergo an endoscopy, a hospital procedure that involves inserting a long, thin tube equipped with a camera through the mouth or nose to examine the interior of the body.
The endoscope-i adapter, designed for attachment to an iPhone, features a 32mm lens endoscope eyepiece and a dedicated application that enables nurses to capture images and securely share them with specialists via a cloud platform. The NHS anticipates that this device, developed by the medical technology company Endoscope-i Ltd, could be utilized across various healthcare settings following a trial conducted in the West Midlands. This advancement aims to facilitate testing closer to patients’ homes, reducing the necessity for hospital visits.
In the wake of the pandemic, there has been a notable increase in patients being urgently referred for cancer testing, yet the overall number of cancer diagnoses has not risen correspondingly. Only 5 percent of approximately 250,000 urgent referrals for suspected head and neck cancer have resulted in a confirmed cancer diagnosis.
To date, over 1,800 participants in the trial have been cleared of throat cancer within a matter of days, allowing healthcare providers to concentrate on the smaller cohort of patients who are diagnosed with cancer.
The NHS has established a 28-day target from the date of referral to communicate cancer diagnoses to patients. In the last four months, the NHS reported that more than 75 percent of patients received their results within this timeframe. Additionally, the NHS is collaborating with the government on a ten-year strategy that emphasizes technological innovation to transition more healthcare services from hospitals to community settings.
Recent pilot programs have also introduced other innovations, such as a sponge designed for the detection of oesophageal cancer and a home-testing kit for individuals with a genetic predisposition to certain types of cancer.
