A swallow-a-sponge test finds the cancers that matter, without a camera down the throat

Many people at risk of Barrett's oesophagus — the one known warning sign for a fast-rising throat cancer — never get the camera test that could catch it. A US validation study of the EndoSign test, presented at a national gastroenterology meeting, offers a gentler front door: swallow a small cell-collecting device, no sedation, and let lab testing sort who truly needs the camera. Across 324 participants at 18 sites, the test found 90% of Barrett's cases — and every case of the dangerous cell changes and cancers where early detection matters most.

SDG 3 · Good health and well-being — Mechanism: tech innovation