Towards screening Barrett's oesophagus: current guidelines, imaging modalities and future developments

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology and Oncology
• Medical Diagnostics

Background:

• Barrett's oesophagus is the sole known precursor to oesophageal adenocarcinoma (OAC).
• Current screening and surveillance strategies for Barrett's oesophagus are inadequate.
• Oesophagogastroduodenoscopy (OGD), the gold standard, is invasive, costly, and carries risks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review current definitions, epidemiology, biomarkers, surveillance, and screening for Barrett's oesophagus.
• To discuss applicable imaging modalities and future developments.
• To highlight the urgent need for non-invasive screening and surveillance alternatives.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of existing research on Barrett's oesophagus.
• Exploration of current diagnostic and surveillance techniques.
• Discussion of emerging technologies, including vibrational spectroscopy.

Main Results:

• Existing screening methods like OGD are limited by invasiveness and cost.
• Vibrational spectroscopy demonstrates potential in classifying Barrett's oesophagus, high-grade dysplasia (HGD), and OAC.
• Further multicentre trials are required to validate these promising techniques.

Conclusions:

• There is a critical need for non-invasive methods to improve Barrett's oesophagus screening and surveillance.
• Non-invasive approaches can reduce waiting times, patient anxiety, and healthcare costs.
• Vibrational spectroscopy warrants further investigation as a potential non-invasive diagnostic tool.