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    The content on this page is not current guidance and is only for the purposes of the consultation process.

    HealthTech draft guidance

    Closed for comments This consultation ended on at   Request commenting lead permission

    1 Recommendations

    1.1

    More research is needed on PillCam COLON 2 for investigating the colon in adults with lower gastrointestinal signs or symptoms suggestive of colorectal cancer, before it can be funded by the NHS.

    What research is needed

    More research is needed on:

    • diagnostic accuracy

    • which subgroups have the lowest risk of needing a colonoscopy after PillCam COLON 2.

    What this means in practice

    There is not enough evidence to support funding PillCam COLON 2 in the NHS.

    Access to PillCam COLON 2 should be through company, research or non-core NHS funding, and clinical or financial risks should be managed appropriately.

    Why the committee made these recommendations

    PillCam COLON 2 uses a small camera, swallowed in a capsule, to capture images of the colon (large bowel). It could be used as an alternative to colonoscopy or CT colonography to diagnose bowel conditions such as polyps and colorectal cancer. This may help reduce waiting lists and prioritise people who need further tests and treatment.

    Evidence suggests that PillCam COLON 2 may reduce the number of colonoscopies. High quality evidence is limited because the studies do not reflect how the test would be used in clinical practice. Low quality evidence from 1 study suggests that PillCam COLON 2 may have high accuracy for diagnosing polyps.

    Results from economic modelling suggest that PillCam COLON 2 is not cost effective compared with colonoscopy or CT colonography. But it is unknown whether PillCam COLON 2 may be cost effective when used in certain groups, such as people who have:

    • had an incomplete colonoscopy

    • low rates of needing colonoscopy after PillCam COLON 2.

    So, more research is needed to determine if the technology is cost effective in these specific groups and which groups are more likely to not need colonoscopy after PillCam COLON 2.