High-frequency probe ultrasonography has limited accuracy for detecting invasive adenocarcinoma in patients with Barrett's esophagus and high-grade dysplasia or intramucosal carcinoma: a case series

Echoendoscopy in Preoperative Evaluation of Esophageal Adenocarcinoma and Gastroesophageal Junction: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Esophageal adenocarcinomas of the esophagus and esophagogastric junction constitute a global health problem, the incidence of which has increased in recent decades. It has a poor prognosis and a low 5-year survival rate. Its treatment is based on preoperative clinical staging, in which echoendoscopy plays an essential role. The aim of this study was to evaluate the current accuracy of echoendoscopy in the staging of esophageal and esophogogastric junction adenocarcinomas. A systematic review was performed in PubMed, Embase and Portal BVS using the search terms Esophageal Neoplasm, Esophagus Neoplasms, Esophagus Cancers, Esophageal Cancers, EUS, EUS-FNA, Endoscopic Ultrasonography, Echo Endoscopy, Endosonographies and Endoscopic Ultrasound, with subsequent meta-analysis of the data found. The accuracy of tumor (T) staging was 65.55%. For T1, sensitivity was 64.7%, and specificity 89.1%, with an accuracy of 89.6%. For T2, sensitivity and specificity were 35.7% and 89.2%, respectively, with an accuracy of 87.1%. For T3, sensitivity and specificity were 82.5% and 83%, respectively, with an accuracy of 87%. For T4, sensitivity and specificity were 38.6% and 94%, respectively, with an accuracy of 66.4%. For node (N) staging, sensitivity was 77.3% and specificity 67.4%, with an accuracy of 77.9%. Echoendoscopy exhibits suboptimal accuracy in preoperative staging of esophageal adenocarcinoma and esophagogastric junction.

Staging of T1 esophageal adenocarcinoma with volumetric laser endomicroscopy: a feasibility study

Background and study aims  Precise staging in T1 esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) is critical in determining candidacy for curative endoscopic resection. High-frequency endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) has demonstrated suboptimal accuracy in T1 EAC staging due to insufficient spatial resolution. Volumetric laser endomicroscopy (VLE) allows for high-resolution wide-field visualization of the esophageal microstructure. We aimed to investigate the role of VLE in staging T1 EAC. Patients and methods  Patients undergoing endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) were prospectively enrolled and only T1 EAC cases were included. EMR specimens were imaged using second-generation VLE immediately after resection. VLE images were analyzed for signal intensity by depth and signal attenuation (dB/mm) in both cross-sectional and en-face orientation. A decision tree model was constructed to combine measured VLE parameters and delineate diagnostic thresholds. Results  Thirty EMR scans were obtained - 15 T1a specimens from 9 patients and 15 T1b specimens from 11 patients. T1b specimen VLE scans exhibited higher signal intensity ( P  < 0.0001) and higher signal attenuation compared to T1a specimens ( P  = 0.03). A combination of signal attenuation and signal intensity at 150 µm depth yielded optimal diagnostic thresholds and an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.77. VLE signal attenuation was significantly associated with grade of differentiation, irrespective of EAC stage. Conclusions  VLE signal intensity and signal attenuation are quantitatively distinct in T1a and T1b EAC and associated with grade of differentiation. This is the first study examining the role of VLE for staging of T1 EAC and demonstrates promising diagnostic performance. With further in vivo validation, VLE may serve a role in staging superficial EAC.

Echoendoscopes

Advances in echoendoscopes and their processors have significantly expanded the role of EUS and its clinical applications.The diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities of EUS continue to evolve and improve. EUS has made a large impact on patient care but comes with significant startup and maintenance costs. As improved technology continues to enhance image resolution while decreasing the size of EUS processors, use of endosonography will become more widespread. EUS will continue to be a vital part of patient care and complement currently available cross-sectional imaging.

Minimally invasive esophagectomy for dysplastic Barrett's esophagus

A substantial portion of patients diagnosed preoperatively with high grade dysplasia (HGD) alone will have occult esophageal adenocarcinoma on analysis of the surgical specimen. Therefore, because of an increased risk of disease progression and malignancy, patients with HGD should be referred for esophagectomy promptly when endoscopic therapy has failed. The required extent of lymphadenectomy in this cohort of patients is unknown because of the variable incidence of submucosal cancer observed. Improvements in perioperative care, adoption of a minimally invasive surgical approach, and centralization of esophageal cancer services have substantially reduced the rates of mortality and morbidity associated with esophagectomy in recent years. Minimally invasive esophagectomy should be considered the treatment of choice in patients with dysplastic Barrett's esophagus that is refractory to endoscopic therapy or those at high risk of invasive cancer.

Advanced imaging technologies for the detection of dysplasia and early cancer in barrett esophagus

Advanced esophageal adenocarcinomas arising from Barrett esophagus (BE) are tumors with an increasing incidence and poor prognosis. The aim of endoscopic surveillance of BE is to detect dysplasia, particularly high-grade dysplasia and intramucosal cancers that can subsequently be treated endoscopically before progression to invasive cancer with lymph node metastases. Current surveillance practice standards require the collection of random 4-quadrant biopsy specimens over every 1 to 2 cm of BE (Seattle protocol) to detect dysplasia with the assistance of white light endoscopy, in addition to performing targeted biopsies of recognizable lesions. This approach is labor-intensive but should currently be considered state of the art. Chromoendoscopy, virtual chromoendoscopy (e.g., narrow band imaging), and confocal laser endomicroscopy, in addition to high-definition standard endoscopy, might increase the diagnostic yield for the detection of dysplastic lesions. Until these modalities have been demonstrated to enhance efficiency or cost effectiveness, the standard protocol will remain careful examination using conventional off the shelf high-resolution endoscopes, combined with as longer inspection time which is associated with increased detection of dysplasia.

Barrett's esophagus: the American perspective

The American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) defines Barrett's esophagus as the condition in which any extent of metaplastic columnar epithelium that predisposes to cancer development replaces the squamous epithelium that normally lines the distal esophagus. Although cardiac mucosa may be metaplastic, its malignant predisposition is not clear, and the AGA still requires the demonstration of intestinal metaplasia (with goblet cells) for a diagnosis of Barrett's esophagus. The AGA generally recommends endoscopic eradication therapy for patients with high-grade dysplasia, who otherwise develop esophageal adenocarcinoma at the rate of 6% per year. Endoscopic therapy is often curative for mucosal neoplasms in Barrett's esophagus because the risk of lymph node metastases is only 1-2%. American gastroenterologists generally do not recommend endoscopic therapy for patients whose neoplasms involve any portion of the submucosa because of the high rate of lymph node metastases that has been described in these cases. The management of low-grade dysplasia is disputed because of poor agreement among pathologists on the diagnosis and because of contradictory data on the natural history, but the AGA recommends that radiofrequency ablation (RFA) should be a therapeutic option for patients with confirmed low-grade dysplasia in Barrett's esophagus. Arguments for using RFA to treat nondysplastic Barrett's metaplasia are based on the premise that RFA decreases cancer risk, but no study has established that premise. In the absence of definitive data, concerns about the frequency and importance of buried metaplastic glands and recurrent metaplasia should temper enthusiasm for treating nondysplastic Barrett's esophagus with RFA.

Clinical value of multiband mucosectomy for the treatment of squamous intraepithelial neoplasia of the esophagus

BACKGROUND AND AIM

To evaluate the clinical value of multiband mucosectomy (MBM) for the treatment of squamous intraepithelial neoplasia of the esophagus.

METHODS

A total of 51 lesions located at esophagus from 43 patients were treated with MBM, among which 11 were diagnosed as middle-grade intraepithelial neoplasia, 25 as high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia, and 15 as early esophageal cancer pathologically. Primary end-points were the rate of complete endoscopic resection and the mean operation time; the second end-points were the postoperative local recurrence rate and acute plus early complications. The histopathological results were compared between pre-MBM biopsy and MBM specimens. All patients were followed up endoscopically.

RESULTS

A total of 52 MBM procedures with 180 resections were performed in 43 patients. The complete endoscopic resection was achieved in 92.3% (95% confidence interval [CI] 81.8-96.9%). The sizes of the lesions ranged from 10 × 8 mm to 25 × 23 mm. The mean operation time is 37 ± 5 min. The operative acute bleeding complication was 7.6% (95% CI 3-18.1%); no perforations occurred. Early complications consisted of delayed bleeding (one patient 1.9%; 95% CI 0.3-10.1%) and slight esophageal stenosis (one patient). The histopathological diagnosis of 26 cases (51%) was consistent between biopsy and MBM samples, while 20 lesions exhibited higher grade dysplasia. The local recurrence rate was 6.9% (3/43) at 1 year, 9.3% (4/43) at 2 years, and 9.3% at 2.5 years. No death occurred during follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

MBM is a safe and effective technique for the treatment of early esophageal cancer and precancerous lesions.

Is Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS) necessary in the pre-therapeutic assessment of Barrett's esophagus with early neoplasia?

Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) is considered the most accurate tool for the TNM staging of esophageal cancer, but its role in early Barrett's neoplasia is still debatable. The aim was to evaluate the utility of EUS in Barrett's patients prior to therapy. Retrospective review of 109 patients enrolled in a treatment protocol for Barrett's neoplasia in our institution. EUS assessment was classified as suspicious for invasion in 19 patients; 84% of them had no evidence of invasion in final pathology. The assessment of depth of invasion of Barrett's neoplasia based solely on EUS findings leads to overstaging in most patients.

The risk of lymph-node metastases in patients with high-grade dysplasia or intramucosal carcinoma in Barrett's esophagus: a systematic review

OBJECTIVES

Endoscopic eradication therapy is used to treat mucosal neoplasms in Barrett's esophagus, but cannot cure cancers that have metastasized to lymph nodes. The risk of such metastases has been proposed as a reason to consider esophagectomy rather than endoscopic therapy for esophageal mucosal neoplasia. The objective of our study was to determine the frequency of lymph-node metastases in patients with high-grade dysplasia (HGD) and intramucosal carcinoma in Barrett's esophagus.

METHODS

We performed a systematic review using the PRISMA guidelines to identify studies that included patients who had esophagectomy for HGD or intramucosal carcinoma in Barrett's esophagus, and that reported final pathology results after examination of esophagectomy specimens.

RESULTS

We identified 70 relevant reports that included 1,874 patients who had esophagectomy performed for HGD or intramucosal carcinoma in Barrett's esophagus. Lymph-node metastases were found in 26 patients (1.39 % , 95 % CI 0.86 – 1.92). No metastases were found in the 524 patients who had a final pathology diagnosis of HGD, whereas 26 (1.93 % , 95 % CI 1.19 – 2.66 %) of the 1,350 patients with a final pathology diagnosis of intramucosal carcinoma had positive lymph nodes.

CONCLUSIONS

The risk of unexpected lymph-node metastases for patients with mucosal neoplasms in Barrett's esophagus is in the range of 1 – 2 %. Esophagectomy has a mortality rate that often exceeds 2 %, with substantial morbidity and no guarantee of curing metastatic disease. Therefore, the risk of lymph node metastases alone does not warrant the choice of esophagectomy over endoscopic therapy for HGD and intramucosal carcinoma in Barrett's esophagus.

Esophageal cancer metabolite biomarkers detected by LC-MS and NMR methods

Background

Esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) is a rarely curable disease and is rapidly rising worldwide in incidence. Barret's esophagus (BE) and high-grade dysplasia (HGD) are considered major risk factors for invasive adenocarcinoma. In the current study, unbiased global metabolic profiling methods were applied to serum samples from patients with EAC, BE and HGD, and healthy individuals, in order to identify metabolite based biomarkers associated with the early stages of EAC with the goal of improving prognostication.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Serum metabolite profiles from patients with EAC (n = 67), BE (n = 3), HGD (n = 9) and healthy volunteers (n = 34) were obtained using high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) methods. Twelve metabolites differed significantly (p<0.05) between EAC patients and healthy controls. A partial least-squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) model had good accuracy with the area under the receiver operative characteristic curve (AUROC) of 0.82. However, when the results of LC-MS were combined with 8 metabolites detected by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) in a previous study, the combination of NMR and MS detected metabolites provided a much superior performance, with AUROC = 0.95. Further, mean values of 12 of these metabolites varied consistently from healthy controls to the high-risk individuals (BE and HGD patients) and EAC subjects. Altered metabolic pathways including a number of amino acid pathways and energy metabolism were identified based on altered levels of numerous metabolites.

Conclusions/Significance

Metabolic profiles derived from the combination of LC-MS and NMR methods readily distinguish EAC patients and potentially promise important routes to understanding the carcinogenesis and detecting the cancer. Differences in the metabolic profiles between high-risk individuals and the EAC indicate the possibility of identifying the patients at risk much earlier to the development of the cancer.

[Endoscopic treatments for Barrett oesophagus]

High grade dysplasia and superficial carcinomas (with no extension under muscularis mucosae) can be indications for endoscopic treatments of Barrett oesophagus. When an endoscopic treatment is considered, a gastroscopy with use of acetic acid and planimetry and the confirmation of high-grade dysplasia by a new examination after PPI treatment and a pathologic second confirmation is needed. For high-grade dysplasia in focalised and visible lesions, an endoscopic resection by EMR or ESD should be proposed: it allows a more accurate pathologic examination and can be an effective curative treatment. After endoscopic resection of visible high grade dysplasia lesions, a complete eradication of Barrett oesophagus may be proposed to prevent dysplasia recurrence. In case of extensive high-grade dysplasia or to eradicate Barrett oesophagus residual lesions, radiofrequency ablation is the preferred endoscopic technique. Photodynamic therapy may also be proposed for more invasive lesions or after other endoscopic techniques with mucosal scars. Surgical oesophagus resection is still recommended for diffuse high-grade dysplasia in young patients or in case of pathologic pejorative criteria in endoscopic resection specimen. In case of Low-grade dysplasia, either endoscopic surveillance should be performed every six or 12 months or radiofrequency ablation could be proposed in the yield of prospective studies.

Staging of early adenocarcinoma in Barrett's esophagus

The main goal in the staging of patients with early neoplasia arising in the context of Barrett's esophagus (BE) is to identify individuals who are eligible for endoscopic therapy and differentiate them from those who require surgical management. To make the proper patient selection a combined staging strategy consisting of endoscopy evaluation, endoscopic ultrasonography, and endoscopic mucosal resection is necessary. In this article, the authors summarize the evidence behind each different staging modality in the setting of early BE adenocarcinoma and propose a staging approach that helps to select patients who are suitable for endoscopic therapy.

Endoscopic ultrasound does not accurately stage early adenocarcinoma or high-grade dysplasia of the esophagus

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Patients with esophageal high-grade dysplasia or mucosal esophageal cancer can be successfully treated by endoscopy. We performed a systematic review of the literature to determine whether endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) correctly predicts the T-stage of early esophageal cancers, compared with pathology specimens obtained by using endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) or surgery.

METHODS

Standard systematic review methods were used to perform reference searches, determine eligibility, abstract data, and analyze data. When possible, individual patient-level data were abstracted, in addition to publication-level aggregate data.

RESULTS

Twelve studies had sufficient information to abstract and review for quality; 8 had individual patient-level data (n = 132). Compared with surgical or EMR pathology staging, EUS had T-stage concordance of 65%, including all studies (n = 12), but only 56% concordance when limited to individual patient-level data. Factors such as initial biopsy pathology (high-grade dysplasia vs early-stage cancer) did not appear to affect the concordance of staging between EUS and EMR/surgical staging.

CONCLUSIONS

EUS is not sufficiently accurate in determining the T-stage of high-grade dysplasias or superficial adenocarcinomas; other means of staging, such as EMR, should be used.

Metabolomics study of esophageal adenocarcinoma

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to detect and evaluate reliable metabolite markers for screening and monitoring treatment of patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) by studying metabolomics. The sensitivity and specificity of the study were evaluated not only for EAC but also for Barrett esophagus and high-grade dysplasia, which are widely regarded as precursors of EAC.

METHODS

Profiles of metabolites in blood serum were constructed using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and statistical analysis methods. The metabolite biomarkers discovered were selected to build a predictive model that was then used to test the classifications accuracies.

RESULTS

Eight metabolites showed significant differences in their levels in patients with cancer and in the control group on the basis of Student t test. A partial least-squares discriminant analysis model built on these metabolites provided excellent classifications of patients with cancer and the control group, with the area under the receiver operating in a characteristic curve of >0.85 for both training and validation sample sets. Evaluated by the same model, the Barrett esophagus samples were of mixed classification, and the high-grade dysplasia samples were classified primarily as cancer samples. A pathway study indicated that altered energy metabolism and changes in the trochloroacetic acid cycle were the dominant factors in the biochemistry of EAC.

CONCLUSIONS

1H nuclear magnetic resonance-based metabolite profiling analysis was shown to be an effective approach to differentiating between patients with EAC and healthy subjects. Good sensitivity and selectivity were shown by using the 8 metabolite markers discovered to predict the classification of samples from the healthy control group and the patients with the disease. Serum metabolic profiling may have potential for early diagnosis of EAC and may enhance our understanding of its mechanisms.

Endoscopic mucosal resection in the management of esophageal neoplasia: current status and future directions

Endoscopic mucosal resection has expanded the role of the gastroenterologist in the management of esophageal neoplasia from screening and diagnosis to staging and endoscopic treatment. Its rise to prominence is a reflection of the long-identified need to obtain histologic information regarding depth of invasion and neoplastic margins during therapy that previously could not be achieved with ablative techniques. The resultant improvement in diagnosis and staging has allowed for better selection of patients for endoscopic therapy who may be spared invasive surgery. The clinical indications, endoscopic techniques, outcomes, and complications in the management of esophageal neoplasia are reviewed. Training requirements to achieve proficiency in endoscopic mucosal resection as well as potential quality measures to assess competence also are proposed in this review.

Greater interobserver agreement by endoscopic mucosal resection than biopsy samples in Barrett's dysplasia

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) is an important diagnostic, staging, and therapeutic tool for patients with Barrett's esophagus (BE)-associated neoplasia. We analyzed the histopathologic characteristics of specimens collected during EMR compared with biopsy specimens from patients with BE and assessed interobserver variability in pathologists' assessment of EMR and biopsy specimens.

METHODS

We evaluated EMR (n = 251) and biopsy (n = 269) specimens collected from patients with BE at 2 tertiary referral centers. A detailed histologic analysis was performed for each EMR and biopsy specimen to determine the grade of dysplasia, depth of the specimen, proportion of specimen with dysplasia, and quality of samples. Interobserver agreement for both biopsy and EMR specimens (among 4 experienced pathologists) was calculated by using kappa statistics.

RESULTS

Histologic analysis showed that submucosa was present in the majority of EMRs, compared with biopsy specimens (88% vs 1%, P < .0001). Almost all biopsy specimens (99%) included lamina propria. However, the muscularis mucosa was observed in only 58% of biopsy specimens. For both EMR and biopsy specimens, the highest grade of dysplasia comprised < or =25% of the total area in >50% of the specimens. Interobserver agreement on the diagnosis of dysplasia was significantly greater for EMR specimens than biopsy specimens (low-grade dysplasia, 0.33 vs 0.22, P < .001; high-grade dysplasia, 0.43 vs 0.35, P = .018).

CONCLUSIONS

Submucosa can be examined in most samples collected from EMR; the distribution of neoplasia is focal within biopsy and EMR specimens. There is more interobserver agreement among pathologists in the analysis of EMR samples than biopsy specimens for the diagnosis of dysplasia.

Endoscopic resection for Barrett's high-grade dysplasia and early esophageal adenocarcinoma: an essential staging procedure with long-term therapeutic benefit

OBJECTIVES

Patients with Barrett's high-grade dysplasia (HGD) or early esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) that is shown on biopsy alone continue to undergo esophagectomy without more definitive histological staging. Endoscopic resection (ER) may provide more accurate histological grading and local tumor (T) staging, definitive therapy, and complete Barrett's excision (CBE); however, long-term outcome data are limited. Our objective was to demonstrate the effect on histological grade or local T stage, efficacy, safety and long-term outcome of ER for Barrett's HGD/EAC and of CBE in suitable patients.

METHODS

This prospective study at two Australian academic hospitals involved 75 consecutive patients over 7 years undergoing ER for biopsy-proven HGD or EAC, using multiband mucosectomy or cap technique. In addition, CBE by 2-3-stage radical mucosectomy was attempted for all Barrett's segments<or=3 cm in length in patients aged<75 years with minimal comorbidities.

RESULTS

Biopsy histology showed HGD in 89% of patients and EAC in 11%. However, ER histology resulted in altered grading or staging in 48% of patients (down 28%, up 20%), with HGD in 53%, low-grade dysplasia (LGD) in 19%, mucosal adenocarcinoma in 13%, submucosal adenocarcinoma in 9%, and no dysplasia in 4% of patients. The CBE success rate was 94%. Complications were one aspiration (hospitalization with full recovery) and six strictures successfully dilated endoscopically. During the mean follow-up of 31 months (range 3-89), there was no recurrence at ER sites, 11% developed metachronous lesions and five patients underwent esophagectomy for ER-demonstrated submucosal invasion. Esophagectomy specimens were T0N0M0 in three and T1N0M0 in two patients. There were no deaths due to adenocarcinoma.

CONCLUSIONS

ER alters histological grade or local T stage in 48% of patients and dramatically reduces esophagectomy rates by providing safe and effective therapy. ER has a high success rate (94%) for CBE in short segment Barrett's esophagus.

High-resolution endoscopy and endoscopic ultrasound for evaluation of early neoplasia in Barrett's esophagus

BACKGROUND

Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) is useful for detecting depth of invasion and nodal involvement in patients with early Barrett's neoplasia (EBN), precluding endoscopic management. This study aimed to determine whether the lesion morphology of the EBN shown on high-resolution endoscopy predicts EUS and histologic tumor stage.

METHODS

Retrospective series from two tertiary referral centers were studied. Patients with EBN referred for EUS evaluation before treatment were identified, and data were collected from endoscopies, a database, and case notes. All patients had high-resolution endoscopy followed by radial EUS.

RESULTS

This study included 50 patients (22 men) with a median age of 69 years (interquartile range, 60-79 years). Visible lesions in the Barrett's segment were described as Paris types 0-1 (n = 9), 0-IIb (n = 12), 0-IIa (n = 12), 0-IIa + IIc (n = 6), and 0-IIc (n = 5). Of the 50 patients, 46 (92%) had either EMR (n = 17), esophagectomy (n = 23), or both (n = 6). All 12 patients (100%) with Paris 0-IIb lesions had T0/T1 m staging on EUS confirmed with resection histology. The sensitivity for EUS T-staging for Paris classification was 71.4% for type 0-I, 100% for type 0-IIb, 83% for type 0-IIa, 66.7% for type 0-IIa + IIc, and 66.7% for type IIc. Overall, 8 (17%) of the 46 patients were understaged and 2 (4%) were overstaged. For detecting submucosal invasion, EUS had a sensitivity of 66%, a specificity of 93%, a negative predictive value of 85%, and a diagnostic accuracy of 84.4%.

CONCLUSION

Submucosal invasion is detected by EUS for 26% of patients with EBN. The value of EUS staging before resection for type 0-IIb early Barrett's cancer (flat lesions) is limited because 100% of these lesions are limited to the mucosa. For the management algorithm in this selected cohort, the use of EUS should be reconsidered.

Minimally invasive esophagectomy for malignant and premalignant diseases of the esophagus

Minimally invasive approaches increasingly are used to treat esophageal cancer and Barrett's esophagitis with high-grade dysplasia. The goals of a minimally invasive esophageal resection are to provide sound oncologic therapy while minimizing morbidity. This article describes the technique the authors use for laparoscopic-thoracoscopic esophagectomy. Comparison data are presented for alternative endoscopic therapy primarily used in candidates not suitable for surgery.

Role of endoscopic ultrasound in superficial esophageal cancer

The recent increase in the incidence of superficial esophageal cancer and promising developments in potentially curative endoscopic therapies have placed endoscopic ultrasound in a central position with regard to decision making. This is a review of the literature to determine the role of endoscopic ultrasound and high frequency probe ultrasonography in the assessment of superficial esophageal carcinomas.

Endoscopic mucosal resection of Barrett's oesophagus containing dysplasia or intramucosal cancer

Barrett's oesophagus is premalignant. Oesophagectomy is traditionally regarded as the standard treatment option in the presence of high grade intraepithelial neoplasia or intramucosal cancer. However, oesophagectomy is associated with high rates of mortality and morbidity. Endoscopic ablative therapies are limited by the lack of tissue for histological assessment, and the ablation may be incomplete. Endoscopic mucosal resection is an alternative to surgery in the management of high grade intraepithelial neoplasia and intramucosal cancer. It is less invasive than surgery and, unlike ablative treatments, provides tissue for histological assessment. This review will cover the indications, techniques and results of endoscopic mucosal resection.

Endoluminal therapy for Barrett's esophagus

This article reviews methods to minimize the complications associated with endoscopic therapy for patients with Barrett's esophagus. To place this discussion in context, the natural history of Barrett's esophagus and the risks associated with progression to dysplasia and invasive carcinoma are reviewed. Operative esophageal resection traditionally is recommended for patients with Barrett's high-grade dysplasia and early carcinoma, and these surgical risks also are reviewed. Finally, all currently approved and commercially available methods for endoscopic ablation and resection of Barrett's disease are categorized according to their application methods of ablation: focal ablation, field ablation, and mucosal resection. The clinical experience with these devices is reviewed with their associated adverse events and complications. Caveats, concerns, and recommendations are discussed to help minimize the complications associated with the use of these important technologies that hold the promise of removing or destroying Barrett's disease to prevent the development of invasive carcinoma.