Mini camera makes bowel cancer checks painless

A Kent hospital has begun offering a new and painless method of being checked for symptoms of bowel cancer.

Instead of an uncomfortable and intrusive colonoscopy, involving a tube being inserted into the bowel, patients can now swallow a pill-sized camera that captures images as it passes through the intestine.

The first patient to use the technology when it was launched on 28 October at the Medway Maritime Hospital was 65-year-old Mark Freeman, from Walderslade.

He described the process as "straightforward and pain-free".

"Four years ago I underwent a traditional colonoscopy" he said, "not only did I have to be sedated for it I was also in hospital for six hours.

"With the camera, the procedure from start to finish took about an hour. Once I'd swallowed the capsule I was also able to go home and carry on with my normal day which was just fantastic."

The camera captures two images a second, which are downloaded from a data recorder worn around the patient's waist, taking between five to eight hours to travel through the body, before it is flushed away.

As well as cancer, the information can be used to detect signs of other conditions such as Crohn's disease.

James Hatfield, Head of Nursing for Specialist Medicine, said: "Traditional bowel investigations can be uncomfortable for some patients and often require a longer stay in hospital.

"This technology offers a less invasive alternative, allowing patients to continue much of their normal day while the capsule captures detailed images of the bowel.

"The introduction of colon capsule endoscopy will help more patients access diagnostic tests quickly and safely, supporting earlier diagnosis and treatment where needed."

Follow BBC Kent on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram and listen to BBC Radio Kent on Sounds. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.