A man who volunteered for a pioneering cancer screening trial has said he’s “more than happy to be a guinea pig” if it helps others in the future.
Paul Burrows, 70, from Inskip, Fylde, is among people recruited to test a new “pill-on-a-thread” device which researchers hope could pave the way for national screening that could transform the early detection of oesophageal cancer.
The trial, backed by Cancer Research UK and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), is now being rolled out in Lancashire through mobile screening vans based in Penwortham and Preston.
Burrows, who has suffered from heartburn for a decade, said he was keen to take part if it could help future patients.
“The pill on the thread sounds fascinating,” he said. “I’m more than happy to be a guinea pig and help out in a clinical trial if it will help others in the future.”
The test is aimed at people who take regular medication for chronic heartburn or acid reflux, a common symptom of Barrett’s oesophagus, a condition which can increase the risk of developing oesophageal cancer.