Endoscopic Management of Barrett's Esophagus and Related Neoplasia in Japan

Barrett's esophagus (BE)-related neoplasia remains less prevalent in Japan than in Western countries; however, its incidence is steadily rising. While multimodal treatment - typically endoscopic resection (ER) followed by ablation - is the standard of care, ER alone remains the primary treatment strategy in Japan. With advances in endoscopic techniques, endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) has become the mainstay for managing BE-related neoplasia. This review outlines the current Japanese approach, focusing on indications, preoperative assessment, treatment outcomes, and post-resection surveillance practices within the Japanese clinical context.

Accurate endoscopic assessment, including the use of magnifying endoscopy with image-enhanced modalities, is central to Japanese practice due to the importance of complete resection of neoplasia in the absence of ablative therapy. While data on BE-related neoplasia remain relatively limited in Japan, several multicenter studies have demonstrated favorable outcomes for ESD in terms of resection quality, safety, and long-term survival, particularly in low-risk patients. However, challenges remain, including the lack of standardized surveillance protocols and considerable heterogeneity in clinical practice across institutions. The establishment of unified clinical pathways and evidence-based strategies will be essential to address the increasing burden of BE-related neoplasia in Japan.

The incidence of BE and esophageal adenocarcinoma is increasing in Japan, although still significantly lower than in Western countries. Unlike the Western standard of combining ER with radiofrequency ablation (RFA), Japanese practice relies primarily on ESD as the main curative modality. RFA is not widely available in Japan, leading to a reliance on complete resection and more aggressive ER strategies. Surveillance strategies remain inconsistent, largely due to the lower disease prevalence and limited Japan-specific clinical evidence.