Surveillance of Barrett's columnar-lined oesophagus in the UK: endoscopic intervals and frequency of detection of dysplasia

'Missed' oesophageal adenocarcinoma and high-grade dysplasia in Barrett's oesophagus patients: A large population-based study

Background

A systematic review suggests that 25% of oesophageal adenocarcinomas (OAC) are 'missed' at index endoscopy for Barrett's oesophagus (BO); however, this included few population-based studies and may be an overestimate.

Objective

The objective of this article is to quantify the 'missed' rates of high-grade dysplasia (HGD) and OAC at index BO endoscopy.

Methods

Patients from the Northern Ireland BO register diagnosed between 1993 and 2010 (n = 13,159) were linked to the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry to identify patients who developed OAC or HGD. Logistic regression analysis compared characteristics of 'missed' vs 'incident' HGD/OAC, defined as diagnoses within 3-12 months vs >1 year after incident BO, respectively.

Results

A total of 267 patients were diagnosed with HGD/OAC ≥3 months after BO diagnosis, of whom 34 (12.7%) were potentially 'missed'. The proportion of 'missed' HGD/OAC was 25% among BO patients with low-grade dysplasia (LGD) and 9% among non-dysplastic BO patients. Older age and BO-LGD carried a higher risk of 'missed' HGD/OAC. Non-dysplastic BO patients were more often diagnosed with a 'missed' OAC (rather than HGD; 89%), compared with BO-LGD patients (40%).

Conclusions

Approximately one in 10 HGD/OAC cases are 'missed' at incident BO diagnosis, which is significant but lower than previous reports. However, 'missed' HGD/OAC cases represent only 0.26% of all BO patients.

Surveillance in Patients With Barrett's Esophagus for Early Detection of Esophageal Adenocarcinoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Objectives:

Although endoscopic surveillance of patients with Barrett's esophagus (BE) has been widely implemented for early detection of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC), its justification has been debated. This systematic review aimed to evaluate benefits, safety, and cost effectiveness of surveillance for patients with BE.

Methods:

MEDLINE, EMBASE, EconLit, Scopus, Cochrane, and CINAHL were searched for published human studies that examined screening practices, benefits, safety, and cost effectiveness of surveillance among patients with BE. Reviewers independently reviewed eligible full-text study articles and conducted data extraction and quality assessment, with disagreements resolved by consensus. Random effects meta-analyses were performed to assess the incidence of EAC, EAC/high-grade dysplasia (HGD), and annual stage-specific transition probabilities detected among BE patients under surveillance, and relative risk of mortality among EAC patients detected during surveillance compared with those not under surveillance.

Results:

A total of 51 studies with 11,028 subjects were eligible; the majority were of high quality based on the Newcastle–Ottawa quality scale. Among BE patients undergoing endoscopic surveillance, pooled EAC incidence per 1,000 person-years of surveillance follow-up was 5.5 (95% confidence interval (CI): 4.2–6.8) and pooled EAC/HGD incidence was 7.7 (95% CI: 5.7–9.7). Pooled relative mortality risk among surveillance-detected EAC patients compared with nonsurveillance-detected EAC patients was 0.386 (95% CI: 0.242–0.617). Pooled annual stage-specific transition probabilities from nondysplastic BE to low-grade dysplasia, high-grade dysplasia, and EAC were 0.019, 0.003, and 0.004, respectively. There was, however, insufficient scientific evidence on safety and cost effectiveness of surveillance for BE patients.

Conclusions:

Our findings confirmed a low incidence rate of EAC among BE patients undergoing surveillance and a reduction in mortality by 61% among those who received regular surveillance and developed EAC. Because of knowledge gaps, it is important to assess safety of surveillance and health-care resource use and costs to supplement existing evidence and inform a future policy decision for surveillance programs.

Australian clinical practice guidelines for the diagnosis and management of Barrett's esophagus and early esophageal adenocarcinoma

Barrett's esophagus (BE), a common condition, is the only known precursor to esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). There is uncertainty about the best way to manage BE as most people with BE never develop EAC and most patients diagnosed with EAC have no preceding diagnosis of BE. Moreover, there have been recent advances in knowledge and practice about the management of BE and early EAC. To aid clinical decision making in this rapidly moving field, Cancer Council Australia convened an expert working party to identify pertinent clinical questions. The questions covered a wide range of topics including endoscopic and histological definitions of BE and early EAC; prevalence, incidence, natural history, and risk factors for BE; and methods for managing BE and early EAC. The latter considered modification of lifestyle factors; screening and surveillance strategies; and medical, endoscopic, and surgical interventions. To answer each question, the working party systematically reviewed the literature and developed a set of recommendations through consensus. Evidence underpinning each recommendation was rated according to quality and applicability.

Cost-effectiveness of endoscopic surveillance of non-dysplastic Barrett's esophagus

BACKGROUND

Endoscopic surveillance for non-dysplastic Barrett's esophagus (BE) is contentious and its cost effectiveness unclear.

OBJECTIVE

To perform an economic analysis of endoscopic surveillance strategies.

DESIGN

Cost-utility analysis by using a simulation Markov model to synthesize evidence from large epidemiologic studies and clinical data for surveillance, based on international guidelines, applied in a coordinator-managed surveillance program.

SETTING

Tertiary care hospital, South Australia.

PATIENTS

A total of 2040 patient-years of follow-up.

INTERVENTION

(1) No surveillance, (2) 2-yearly endoscopic surveillance of patients with non-dysplastic BE and 6-monthly surveillance of patients with low-grade dysplasia, (3) a hypothetical strategy of biomarker-modified surveillance.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS

U.S. cost per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) ratios.

RESULTS

Compared with no surveillance, surveillance produced an estimated incremental cost per QALY ratio of $60,858. This was reduced to $38,307 when surveillance practice was modified by a hypothetical biomarker-based strategy. Sensitivity analyses indicated that the likelihood that surveillance alone was cost-effective compared with no surveillance was 16.0% and 60.6% if a hypothetical biomarker-based strategy was added to surveillance, at an acceptability threshold of $100,000 per QALY gained.

LIMITATIONS

Treatment options for BE that overlap those for symptomatic GERD were omitted.

CONCLUSION

By using best available estimates of the malignant potential of BE, endoscopic surveillance of patients with non-dysplastic BE is unlikely to be cost-effective for the majority of patients and depends heavily on progression rates between dysplasia grades. However, strategies that modify surveillance according to cancer risk might be cost-effective, provided that high-risk individuals can be identified and prioritized for surveillance.

A Barrett's esophagus registry of over 1000 patients from a specialist center highlights greater risk of progression than population-based registries and high risk of low grade dysplasia

Barrett's esophagus (BE) arising from chronic gastro-oesophageal reflux (GERD) is the main pathologic precursor of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). The risk of progression to high-grade dysplasia (HGD) and EAC is unclear, and recent population studies from Denmark and Northern Ireland suggest that this has been overestimated in the past. No data exist from the Republic of Ireland. A detailed clinical, endoscopic, and pathologic database was established in one center as a proposed pilot for a national registry, and initial and follow-up data were abstracted by a data manager. One thousand ninety-three patients were registered, 60 patients with HGD were excluded, leaving 1033, with a median age of 59 and 2 : 1 male to female ratio, and 3599 person-years of follow-up. The overall incidence of HGD/EAC was 1.33% per year overall, 0.85% if the first year is excluded. Within the first year after index endoscopy, 18 cases of HGD or EAC were identified, and 30 following the first year. Low-grade dysplasia (LGD) on index endoscopy was associated with an incidence of progression of 6.5% per year, and 3.1% when tertiary referrals were excluded. These data provide important demographic and clinical information on the population of Irish patients with BE, with incidence rates of progression higher than recently published population-based registry series, perhaps relating to sampling and pathological assessment. Low-grade dysplasia on initial biopsy is a significant proxy marker of risk of progression.

Cost-effectiveness of Barrett's oesophagus screening and surveillance

Endoscopic screening and surveillance of patients with Barrett's oesophagus to detect oesophageal cancer at earlier stages is contentious. As a consequence, their cost-effectiveness is also debatable. Current health economic evidence shows mixed results for demonstrating their value, mainly due to varied assumptions around progression rates to cancer, quality of life and treatment pathways. No randomized controlled trial exists to definitively support the efficacy of surveillance programs and one is unlikely to be undertaken. Contemporary treatment, cost and epidemiological data to contribute to cost-effectiveness analyses are needed. Risk assessment to stratify patients at low- or high-risk of developing cancer should improve cost-effectiveness outcomes as higher gains will be seen for those at higher risk, and medical resource use will be avoided in those at lower risk. Rapidly changing technologies for imaging, biomarker testing and less-invasive endoscopic treatments also promise to lower health system costs and avoid adverse events in patients.

Endocytoscopic visualization of squamous cell islands within Barrett’s epithelium

AIM: To study the endocytoscopic visualization of squamous cell islands within Barrett’s epithelium.

METHODS: Endocytoscopy (ECS) has been studied in the surveillance of Barrett’s esophagus, with controversial results. In initial studies, however, a soft catheter type endocytoscope was used, while only methylene blue dye was used for the staining of Barrett’s mucosa. Integrated type endocytoscopes (GIF-Q260 EC, Olympus Corp, Tokyo, Japan) have been recently developed, with the incorporation of a high-power magnifying endocytoscope into a standard endoscope together with narrow-band imaging (NBI). Moreover, double staining with a mixture of 0.05% crystal violet and 0.1% of methylene blue (CM) during ECS enables higher quality images comparable to conventional hematoxylin eosin histopathological images.

RESULTS: In vivo endocytoscopic visualization of papillary squamous cell islands within glandular Barrett’s epithelium in a patient with long-segment Barrett’s esophagus is reported. Conventional white light endoscopy showed typical long-segment Barrett’s esophagus, with small squamous cell islands within normal Barrett’s mucosa, which were better visualized by NBI endoscopy. ECS after double CM staining showed regular Barrett’s esophagus, while higher magnification (× 480) revealed the orifices of glandular structures better. Furthermore, typical squamous cell papillary protrusion, classified as endocytoscopic atypia classification (ECA) 2 according to ECA, was identified within regular glandular Barrett’s mucosa. Histological examination of biopsies taken from the same area showed squamous epithelium within glandular Barrett’s mucosa, corresponding well to endocytoscopic findings.

CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the first report of in vivo visualization of esophageal papillary squamous cell islands surrounded by glandular Barrett’s epithelium.

Practice patterns of surveillance endoscopy in a Veterans Affairs database of 29,504 patients with Barrett's esophagus

BACKGROUND

Practice guidelines recommend surveillance endoscopy every 2 to 3 years among patients with Barrett's esophagus (BE) to detect early neoplastic lesions. Although surveys report that >95% of gastroenterologists recommend or practice BE surveillance, the extent and patterns of surveillance in clinical practice are unknown.

OBJECTIVE

To identify the extent and determinants of endoscopic surveillance among BE patients.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

SETTING

A total of 121 Veterans Affairs facilities nationwide.

PATIENTS

Veteran patients with BE diagnosed from 2003 to 2009, with follow-up through September 30, 2010.

INTERVENTION

Not an interventional study.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS

The proportions of patients with BE who received any EGD after the index BE EGD date. In the subgroup of patients with at least 6 years of follow-up, we also calculated proportions for regular (EGD during both 3-year intervals), irregular (EGD in only 1 interval), and no surveillance. We examined differences in demographics and clinical and facility factors among these groups in unadjusted and adjusted analyses.

RESULTS

We identified 29,504 patients with BE; 97% were men, 83% white, and their mean age was 61.8 years. During a 3.8-year median follow-up period, 45.4% of patients with BE received at least one EGD. Among the subgroup of 4499 patients with BE who had at least 6 years of follow-up, 23.0% had regular surveillance, and 26.7% had irregular surveillance. There was considerable facility-level variation in percentages with surveillance EGD across the 112 facilities and by geographic region of these facilities. Demographic and clinical factors did not explain these variations. Patients with at least one EGD were significantly more likely to be white; to be aged <65 years, with a low level of comorbidity; to have GERD, obesity, dysphagia, or esophageal strictures; to have more outpatient visits; and to be seen in smaller hospitals (<87 beds) than those without any EGD.

LIMITATIONS

There might be misclassification of BE and surveillance EGD. Lack of pathology data on dysplasia, which dictates surveillance intervals.

CONCLUSION

Endoscopic surveillance for BE is considerably less commonly practiced in Veterans Affairs facilities than is self-reported by physicians. Although several clinical factors are associated with variations in surveillance, facility-level factors play a large role. The comparative effectiveness of the different practice-based surveillance patterns needs to be examined.

Barrett's esophagus surveillance: When, how often, does it work?

Barrett's esophagus is a well-known risk factor for the development of esophageal adenocarcinoma. Current practice guidelines recommend endoscopic surveillance of patients with Barrett's esophagus in an attempt to detect cancer at an early and potentially curable stage. This review addresses the rationale behind surveillance and criteria for inclusion of patients in surveillance programs as well as the appropriate technique and intervals that should be used. This work addresses other key topics in Barrett's esophagus surveillance, including the efficacy of surveillance programs, physician compliance with surveillance guidelines, cost-effectiveness of surveillance programs, and areas for future research.

Long-term survival and cost analysis of an annual Barrett's surveillance programme

OBJECTIVES

Surveillance endoscopy aims to identify progression to high-grade dysplasia (HGD) or oesophageal adenocarcinoma (OA) at an early stage in patients with Barrett's metaplasia (BM). There are variations in surveillance practice, clinical outcomes and economic analyses. The study examined long-term survival and financial impact in patients undergoing annual surveillance of BM.

METHODS

Patients with BM and considered fit for curative treatment between January 1994 and July 2001 were studied. Surveillance was scheduled as annual endoscopy with quadrantic biopsies every 2 cm. Financial analysis was based on standard National Health Service costs to death or follow-up to 5 years. Comparison was made with patients presenting with OA over the same time period.

RESULTS

Three hundred and two patients were identified with BM. Minimum follow-up was 5 years with a total follow-up of 654 patient-years. Two patients developed HGD and six OA. Median time between last nondysplastic biopsy and development of OA or HGD was 16 months (range 9-55). Five underwent potentially curative treatment. The remaining patients were unfit (n=1), refused surgery (n=1) or had metastatic disease (n=1). Four of five treated patients survived up to 5 years. The total cost of the surveillance programme including subsequent surgical or palliative treatment was euro240 682, euro30 085 per patient who progressed and for the prevalent cancer group (n=74) euro630 480 or euro8520 per patient. Only two patients in this group survived beyond 5 years. The additional cost of surveillance was euro4493 per life year gained.

CONCLUSION

A surveillance programme leads to improved 5-year survival. It is cost-effective compared with dealing with unselected patients.

Routinely diagnosed low-grade dysplasia in Barrett's oesophagus: a population-based study of natural history

AIMS

To examine the natural history of columnar-lined oesophagus with routinely diagnosed low-grade dysplasia and ascertain the risk of oesophageal adenocarcinoma development.

METHODS AND RESULTS

A multicentre retrospective cohort study of 283 patients with low-grade dysplasia. Follow-up data were obtained from examination of hospital records. One hundred and forty-four patients had biopsies prior to low-grade dysplasia diagnosis and 217 had follow-up biopsies after index low-grade dysplasia diagnosis. In these patients the incidence of high-grade dysplasia and adenocarcinoma combined was 4.6% per annum and of adenocarcinoma alone was 2.7% per annum. At most recent follow-up, 43 (19.8%) had persistent low-grade dysplasia, 37 (17.1%) had changes indefinite for dysplasia and 108 (49.8%) had non-dysplastic columnar-lined oesophagus. When prevalent cases were excluded (those occurring within 1 year of index low-grade dysplasia diagnosis), the annual incidence of high-grade dysplasia and adenocarcinoma combined was 2.2% and of adenocarcinoma alone was 1.4%. The relative risk for adenocarcinoma development in low-grade dysplasia compared with non-dysplastic columnar-lined oesophagus was 2.871 (P = 0.002).

CONCLUSIONS

Low-grade dysplasia has a threefold increased risk of progression to cancer compared with non-dysplastic epithelium, but in the majority of patients dysplasia is not subsequently detected.