Emerging techniques for screening and surveillance in Barrett's oesophagus

The incidence of oesophageal adenocarcinoma continues to increase in the US and the Western world, with the 5-year survival rate for this cancer still being very dismal. The diagnosis of Barrett's metaplasia and dysplasia (i.e. screening and surveillance) currently requires endoscopy with biopsy of the abnormally appearing distal oesophagus. Surveillance endoscopy in patients with Barrett's oesophagus relies on the performance of random biopsies from the metaplastic segment, with the aim of identifying dysplasia and/or cancer. However, intestinal metaplasia and dysplasia are not uniformly distributed within the columnar-lined mucosa in the distal oesophagus, and the sensitivity of standard endoscopy with biopsy for the detection of these lesions is low. New techniques to improve the accuracy of endoscopic diagnosis, as well as to identify patients at high risk for neoplasia development, have recently been developed and most are currently being evaluated in clinical studies. The results with these techniques, although promising, are still preliminary. They hold promise for the improved detection of dysplasia and neoplasia at an early stage of development, with a greater chance for early treatment, and therefore a greater likelihood of either cure of adenocarcinoma or prevention of its development from dysplasia.