A tiny camera that fits inside a pill-sized capsule has revolutionised cancer screening in Scotland. Over two thousand patients have now used the PillCam rather than the more traditional invasive method of having a colonoscopy. The PillCam has reduced waiting times for bowel cancer screening and allowed faster diagnoses, an important factor in battling the disease.
The procedure itself is technically called a colon capsule endoscopy (CCE). The tiny camera is swallowed like a pill and then travels through the digestive system, recording 50,000 images along its journey. The images from the camera are stored in a recorder worn on a belt around the patient’s waist.
