Sponge on a string reduces long waits for diagnostic test for cancer

Patient George Murray Walton at the Lister hospital in Stevenage with Sister Cole. Photograph: Graeme Robertson/The Guardian

A “sponge on a string” used to identify a precursor to one of Britain’s deadliest cancers is helping to reduce the long delays faced by patients who need a vital diagnostic test.

An NHS trial of the innovative “cytosponge” has found that almost eight out of 10 people who are assessed using the method do not then need to join the waiting list for an endoscopy.