14th August 2025
Heartburn is a common symptom and presentation to GPs. Chronic heartburn is associated with Barrett’s Oesophagus, which is a potential precursor to developing oesophageal adenocarcinoma. There are approximately 9,500 new cases of oesophageal cancer per year in the UK and over 8,000 deaths. There is a need to carry out further research for those with chronic heartburn and improve the early detection of oesophageal cancer.
Men aged 55 and over and women aged 65 and over with chronic heartburn across England are receiving text messages from ‘NHSresearch’ inviting them to join Heartburn Health, a new research programme created by clinicians and researchers at the University of Cambridge and Queen Mary University of London.
Over the next 2-3 years, Heartburn Health is building a community of patients who live with chronic heartburn. Heartburn Health members will be invited to join clinical trials for serious health conditions linked to indigestion, heartburn and acid reflux. The programme hopes to recruit at least 120,000 people to Heartburn Health over this period.
One of the clinical trials Heartburn Health participants may be asked to join is the BEST4 Screening trial. This clinical trial, funded by Cancer Research UK (CRUK) and the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR), is assessing the viability of the capsule sponge test (a “pill-on-a-thread”) in a future population screening programme for Barrett’s oesophagus and oesophageal cancer. This is a simple, acceptable and effective test and has been shown to increase detection of Barrett’s in primary care settings.
Patients taking part in BEST4 Screening will be offered to book a capsule sponge test in their locality via mobile units/vans in accessible locations. If the sponge test comes back positive, they will be referred to participating secondary care sites for upper GI endoscopy. GPs do not need to do any additional clinical work for their patients who are taking part in the trial.
If patients in your surgery receive a text message from ‘NHSresearch’ inviting them to join Heartburn Health, please be reassured it is a legitimate invitation to take part in a major NHS supported research programme.
Self-referral to the programme has started from summer 2025, so you may see communications from for example your local cancer alliance. We would like to encourage GPs to share information about Heartburn Health with patients who might meet the eligibility criteria for the programme, particularly if the research is happening in your area.
For more information on Heartburn Health and the BEST4 Screening trial, visit https://www.heartburnhealth.org/ and https://best4trial.org/.
Heartburn Health programme – NHS England Digital
Dr Thomas Round, GP and NIHR Clinical Lecturer, King’s College London
Heartburn Health and BEST4 Principal Investigator