NHS pharmacies to pilot ‘sponge on a string’ test to spot cancer precursor

The ‘sponge on a string’ test is used to spot Barrett’s oesophagus in people who have persistent heartburn or acid reflux. Photograph: Graeme Robertson/The Guardian

Hundreds of people in England are to be offered a “sponge on a string” test to identify a precursor to one of the deadliest cancers in high-street pharmacies for the first time.

Patients with persistent heartburn or acid reflux can take the “game-changer” tablet-sized capsule that when washed down with a glass of water expands in the stomach.