Patient acceptability of an ingestible sampling and imaging capsule (Samplecam) for bowel surveillance and early detection of colorectal cancer among Lynch Syndrome patients - a focus group study

Sep 27, 2026

Uploaded by noah

Patient acceptability of an ingestible sampling and imaging capsule (Samplecam) is assessed for bowel surveillance and early detection of colorectal cancer in Lynch Syndrome patients through an online focus group study. Adults with Lynch Syndrome (18+) discussed attitudes toward the device within the surveillance pathway. Three focus groups (14 participants) yielded broadly positive attitudes, with identified barriers and facilitators, advantages and a single disadvantage. Participants opposed replacing colonoscopy entirely, while viewing the capsule as an adjunct to augment traditional surveillance and offer reassurance between procedures.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages13

Reading Time33 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Methods

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Frontiers in Cancer Control and Society TYPE Original Research PUBLISHED 14 April 2025 DOI 10. 3389/fcacs.2025.1568786 OPEN ACCESS EDITED BY Edv¯ıns Miklaševis, Riga Stradi¸nš University, Latvia REVIEWED BY Giulia Martina Cavestro, Vita-Salute San Ra􀀀aele University, Italy Kelly Lloyd, University of Leeds, United Kingdom *CORRESPONDENCE Natalie M. Gil [n.gil@surrey.ac. uk](n.gil@surrey.ac. uk) RECEIVED 30 January 2025 ACCEPTED 10 March 2025 PUBLISHED 14 April 2025 CITATION Gil NM, Merriel SWD, Sailem H, Cummins G, Finn E and Kerrison RS (2025) Patient acceptability of an ingestible sampling and imaging capsule (Samplecam) for bowel surveillance and early detection of colorectal cancer among Lynch Syndrome patients: a focus group study. Front. Cancer Control Soc. 3:1568786 . doi: 10.3389/fcacs.2025.1568786 COPYRIGHT © 2025 Gil, Merriel, Sailem, Cummins, Finn and Kerrison. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) . The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms. Patient acceptability of an ingestible sampling and imaging capsule (Samplecam) for bowel surveillance and early detection of colorectal cancer among Lynch Syndrome patients: a focus group study Natalie M. Gil1*, Samuel W. D. Merriel 2 , Heba Sailem3 , Gerard Cummins4 , Elena Finn5 and Robert S. Kerrison1 1 School of Health Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, United Kingdom, 2 Centre for Primary Care and Health Services Research, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom, 3 School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom, 4 School of Engineering, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom, 5The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom Introduction: Lynch syndrome a􀀀ects an estimated 1 in 279 people in the United Kingdom and presents a high lifetime risk of colorectal cancer. Current strategies to support early diagnosis among Lynch Syndrome patients include surveillance colonoscopy. Capsule endoscopy (CE), which enables visualization of the colon and rectum, is an ingestible imaging device, which could provide a potential means of enabling early detection between colonoscopies. However, current CEs are limited only to visual inspection and are unable to obtain samples from the colon, requiring follow-up colonoscopy for biopsy. To this end, we have been developing a novel ingestible device, which (1) can collect samples from the colon and (2) utilizes artiﬁcial intelligence to interpret images obtained (using images collected from colonoscopy and CE conducted with the same cohort) . As with any new technology, perceived ease of use and usefulness will be key determinants of implementing ingestible devices within patient care. For this reason, we conducted a focus group study in which people living with Lynch Syndrome were invited to discuss their views on the device. Methods: Online focus groups were conducted with adults (aged 18+ years) living with Lynch Syndrome. The focus groups aimed to explore their attitudes toward the use of a novel ingestible sampling and imaging device, for use within the surveillance pathway. Results: Three focus groups, comprising 14 participants, were conducted. The majority of participants were of White British ethnicity (n = 13, 92 .9%), female (n = 13, 92 .9%) and aged 35 years or older (n = 10, 71 .4%) . We identiﬁed 11 barriersand ﬁve facilitators to the use of a novel ingestible device. Further, we identiﬁed six advantages, one disadvantage, and four potential indications for use. Attitudes were generally positive toward the device. Howeve

FAQs

What is Samplecam, and what is its intended role for Lynch Syndrome patients?

Samplecam is an ingestible sampling and imaging capsule designed for bowel surveillance and early detection of colorectal cancer. The study positions it as an adjunct to current surveillance pathways, potentially between colonoscopies.

How was patient acceptability evaluated in the study?

Online focus groups were conducted with adults aged 18+ living with Lynch Syndrome. The sessions explored attitudes toward the novel ingestible sampling and imaging device for use in surveillance.

What did participants think about using Samplecam compared with colonoscopy?

Attitudes were generally positive, but participants were opposed to replacing colonoscopy entirely. The device was viewed as something that could augment traditional methods and provide additional reassurance during longer intervals between procedures.

Sep 27, 2026

Uploaded by noah