Screening for Barrett's Esophagus

There is substantial interest in identifying patients with premalignant conditions such as Barrett's esophagus (BE), to improve outcomes of subjects with esophageal adenocarcinoma. However, there is limited consensus on the rationale for screening, the appropriate target population, and optimal screening modality. Recent progress in the development and validation of minimally invasive tools for BE screening has reinvigorated interest in BE screening. BE risk scores combining clinical, anthropometric, and laboratory variables are being developed that may allow more precise targeting of screening to high-risk individuals. This article reviews and summarizes data on recent progress and challenges in screening for BE.