Diagnostic and Management Implications of Basic Science Advances in Barrett’s Esophagus

Barrett’s esophagus (BE) is a well-established premalignant condition for esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC), a cancer that has increased in the Western world by nearly sixfold over the past three decades and is associated with a dismal 5-year survival rate (<20 %) especially when detected at a symptomatic state. Given the dramatic rise in EAC incidence and poor outcomes, much attention has focused on screening and surveillance in BE with a goal of identifying curable lesions and improving outcomes in patients with EAC. The limitations of current screening and surveillance strategies provide the necessary impetus to improve diagnostic accuracy and risk stratification of patients with BE. Biomarkers have the potential to predict risk of progression to cancer, identify patients most likely to respond to endoscopic eradication therapies, and ultimately influence patient management and outcomes. The goal of identifying such a biomarker or panel of biomarkers ready for clinical application remains elusive. This review highlights the recent advances in the field of biomarkers. It is increasingly being recognized that a single biomarker is suboptimal in accurate clinical risk stratification of individuals at highest risk for progression to cancer and an ideal risk stratification tool should include a panel of biomarkers in conjunction with clinical and endoscopic factors. Finally, we review advances in our screening strategies with use of Cytosponge, transnasal endoscopy, and tethered capsule endomicroscopy and surveillance strategies with use of advanced imaging techniques. Feasibility of these novel technologies for large population screening and surveillance needs to be assessed in future trials.