Related Specialties: Gastroenterology / Upper GI surgery

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Barrett's esophagus (BE) is a pre-cancerous condition predisposing the development of esophageal adenocarcinoma. As the diagnosis of BE requires upper endoscopy, data on the incidence and prevalence of BE in the community are scarce. Only two studies conducted in Europe with a retrospective design reported data on the incidence of BE showing increased incidence rates over the last decade. On the other hand, three main endoscopy-based studies have reported that BE prevalence varies remarkably worldwide, ranging from 1% to 10% in Eastern and Western, respectively, in the general population.  Wide range of BE prevalence has been reported across studies, and this variation may be due to the different time periods, study population and BE definitions. Moreover, the risk of developing esophageal cancer in individuals with BE in different countries is not well known, and the role of predictors of esophageal cancer in identifying those at higher risk still need to be defined.

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An endoscopic international study aimed to create a data-base registering all cases of BE should provide us with more consistent and detailed data on the incidence of BE in different countries and on the risk and predictors of esophageal adenocarcinoma in these patients. These data could have several implications for practice and research; they may be used a) to implement consensus and clinical guidelines on the management of BE in different countries,  b) to guide public health policy making, along with cost-effective analysis, on screening and prevention strategies for esophageal cancer, c) to inspire large scale studies focused on efficacy and safety of new technologies and drugs in the treatment of BE and d) to help people make well-informed decisions about future research of Barrett’s esophagus.

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The aim of the study is to set-up an international on-line database prospectively registering cases of BE in several countries in order to estimate BE burden worldwide. The primary outcome is to evaluate the incidence of BE and its time-trend in different countries worldwide; secondary outcomes are a) to evaluate the presence and pattern of upper gastrointestinal symptoms in individuals with BE; b) to estimate the risk of developing dysplasia / oesophageal cancer in individuals with BE; c) to identify predictors of dysplasia / oesophageal cancer among individuals with BE.

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The recruitment of participating Centers and Investigators in different countries worldwide is ongoing.

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