RAYMOND Berry was one of the first patients to benefit from a new service being used at The James Cook University Hospital to detect and monitor oesophageal conditions such as Barrett’s cancer.

The new Cytosponge is a small capsule which is attached to a string.

Patients like Raymond are asked to swallow it while the nurse keeps a hold of the string. Its outer lining, made of vegetarian glutelin, then dissolves to reveal a tiny sponge around the size of a 10p piece.

The sponge is withdrawn from the stomach via the mouth by a quick pull of the string, taking between 500,000 and 1 million cells on its way before it is sent to the lab for examination.

Findings can determine whether further testing or surveillance is required and can improve early detection of changes which may lead to oesophageal cancer.

Raymond, a former miner from near Loftus, has regular endoscopies after pre-cancerous cells were previously found in his oesophagus.

“Usually, I have the endoscopic camera but obviously this is a new treatment and I said I’d volunteered to have it done and it was easy, better than the camera,” said the 66-year-old.

“I’ve had the endoscopic camera six times but compared this is better, it isn’t stressful.

“When they said they’re going to put a tablet down in your mind you have a good idea what it is, but the tablet I thought would be bigger. It was only a small tablet but when it came out it’d obviously swelled up. 

“I’d tell others not to worry if they’re having this because it’s what seven minutes, seven and a half minutes and they pull it out gradually, you get a bit of wind but nothing else.

“I just hope it helps everybody else.”

Arvind Ramadas clinical lead for endoscopy said: “The early detection of cell changes (dysplasia) in Barrett's oesophagus could make treatment much easier and enable doctors to intervene before cancer develops.

“This procedure will be rolled out in a phased manner through the South Tees minimally invasive gastrointestinal service.”

Peter Davis, consultant upper GI cancer surgeon and chair for the regional cancer MDT, added: “I’m delighted that South Tees has become an early adopter of this new diagnostic approach and technology.

“This will allow the diagnosis of oesophageal cancer patients at an earlier stage with improved outcomes.”

The newest minimally invasive gastrointestinal service comes just four months after James Cook extended its use of tiny pill-sized cameras, offering patients upper GI capsule endoscopies following the success of using the pill-sized cameras to investigate and diagnose bowel abnormalities.

Leila Lyons, nurse endoscopist added: “This is another exciting development within our department.

“It enables us to perform essential assessments of patients who we know are at risk of oesophageal cancer in a less invasive and less stressful way.

“The patients we have seen so far have found it a much easier test than the scope, it’s quick, comfortable and they can return to their normal activities right away.”

SOUTH Tees Hospitals NHS Foundations Trust’s palliative care team has once again teamed up Our Hospitals Charity to offer people the opportunity to remember a loved one by hanging a personalised bauble on their Christmas trees.

Each year, the trust’s Christmas trees at The James Cook University Hospital and the Friarage Hospital are decorated with beautiful baubles that people have dedicated to a friend or family member.

Each bauble has a feather inside it along with a heartfelt personalised tribute for someone who has died in James Cook or the Friarage.

As well as paying tribute to their loved ones, people who hang a bauble on the trees are also helping other families going through similar experiences.

All the money raised from the baubles goes towards buying items for the palliative care team’s Dragonfly Scheme.

This scheme allows the team to provide comfort bags and memory boxes, which are given to the relatives of patients receiving end of life care to help them cope at such a difficult time.

Laura Devereux, Macmillan palliative support sister, said: “This Christmas if you’re missing someone special who died at James Cook or the Friarage our dedicated memorial trees give you the opportunity to pay tribute for a small contribution.

“We know all too well that a lot of families lose someone close to their heart every day.

“We hope it gives those who add a tribute to our trees comfort in knowing that the money raised from the baubles helps other families experiencing the heartache of saying goodbye to their loved one.”

Make your dedication online today

If you would like to pay tribute to a loved one you can do this via our JustGiving page – www.justgiving.com/campaign/OHCMemorialChristmasTree

The team ask for a minimum donation of £2.50 per bauble.

United Agents present…

Katherine Ryan: Missus European Tour 2021-22

 
‘A comic in supreme command of her shtick’ – The Guardian

‘One of the stand-out stand-ups of her generation’ – The Times ****

"Poised, uncompromising and often savagely hilarious" – The Scotsman ****

‘Flawlessly delivered... this is stand-up comedy that slaps you countless times around the face and leaves you aching with laughter. Be in no doubt, Ryan is among the very best out there’ – The Telegraph ****

Star of Netflix smash-hit series The Duchess (along with two global Netflix comedy specials: In Trouble and Glitter Room), comedian and TV’s Katherine Ryan makes a hugely welcome return to the stage with her brand-new show Missus. Having previously denounced partnership, Katherine has since married her first love… accidentally! From October, the tour will take in incredible venues all over Europe – and last well into 2022. Further shows have also been added at the London Palladium (5 th -7 th May), after the first three dates sold out, and at The Regent in LA (30 th April) as part of the Netflix is a Joke festival, to satisfy phenomenal demand. A lot has changed for everyone, and we can look forward to hearing Katherine’s always-hilarious new perspectives on life, love,and what it means to be Missus.

Award-winning comedian, writer, presenter and actress Katherine Ryan is currently dominating the television and live comedy scenes, both in the UK and abroad. She will soon be seen as the host of the highly-anticipated comedy series Backstage with Katherine Ryan for Amazon. Katherine starred in, wrote and executive-produced her sitcom The Duchess, which was released in 2020 and leapt to the top of the Netflix UK chart. She has filmed two critically-acclaimed Netflix Global stand-up specials – Glitter Room and In Trouble. Katherine can currently be seen hosting primetime BBC Two jewellery-making competition series All That Glitters – which returns soon for a second series, and recently hosted ITV2’s marquee show Ready to Mingle. She has been a stalwart on all the UK’s major panel shows, and has co-hosted six series of Your Face or Mine alongside judging four series of Roast Battle for Comedy Central – as well as being a judge on Netflix’s first panel show The Fix. Outside of television, Katherine has sold-out venues across the world with her unique shows and she has also written a book – The Audacity – which will be published by Bonnier on 30th September as a super lead title. Her podcast Telling Everybody Everything frequently tops the podcast charts, and is hosted by market-leader Acast.

Katherine Ryan will perform live at the Globe Theatre in Stockton on Thursday the 10th of November - so don't miss out!

TICKETS: www.livenation.co.uk

MORE INFORMATION: www.unitedagents.co.uk/katherine-ryan
FURTHER PRESS INFORMATION: Amanda Emery at Emery PR
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Tel: 07702 604735 @emerypr