Barrett ’s Esophagus and Esophageal Carcinoma: Can Biomarkers Guide Clinical Practice?

AbstractPurpose of ReviewDespite gastrointestinal societal recommendations for endoscopic screening and surveillance of Barrett ’s esophagus, the rates of esophageal adenocarcinoma continue to rise. Furthermore, this current practice is costly to patients and the medical system without clear evidence of reduction in cancer mortality. The use of biomarkers to guide screening, surveillance, and treatment strategies might all eviate some of these issues.Recent FindingsIncredible advances in biomarker identification, biomarker assays, and minimally-invasive modalities to acquire biomarkers have shown promising results.SummaryWe will highlight recently published, key studies demonstrating where we are with using biomarkers for screening and surveillance in clinical practice, and what is on the horizon regarding novel non-invasive and minimally invasive methods to acquire biomarkers. Proof-of principle studies using in silico models demonstrate that biomarker-guided screening, surveillance, and therapeutic intervention strategies can be cost-effective and can reduce cancer deaths in patients with Barrett ’s esophagus.
Source: Current Gastroenterology Reports - Category: Gastroenterology Source Type: research