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Copyright ©The Author(s) 2015. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Sep 7, 2015; 21(33): 9693-9706
Published online Sep 7, 2015. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v21.i33.9693
Value of screening endoscopy in evaluation of esophageal, gastric and colon cancers
Tae H Ro, Michelle A Mathew, Subhasis Misra
Tae H Ro, Michelle A Mathew, Subhasis Misra, Division of Surgical Oncology, Texas Tech University Health Science Center School of Medicine, Amarillo, TX 79106, United States
Author contributions: Ro TH and Mathew MA contributed equally to the writing of this paper and should be deemed both first authors; Misra S was the senior author and guide for this paper.
Conflict-of-interest statement: Subhasis Misra has received a research grant from the Cancer Prevention Research, Institute of Texas for colorectal cancer screening. No other contributing authors from this manuscript has received fees for serving as a speaker, owns stocks and/or shares in any affiliated organization, or owns a patent related to this research.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Correspondence to: Subhasis Misra, MD, MS, FACCWS, FACS, Associate Professor, Chief of GastroIntestinal and Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, Texas Tech University Health Science Center School of Medicine, 1400 S Coulter St.Amarillo, Amarillo, TX 79106, United States. subhasis.misra@ttuhsc.edu
Telephone: +1-806-3545563 Fax: +1-806-3545561
Received: April 13, 2015
Peer-review started: April 15, 2015
First decision: May 18, 2015
Revised: May 27, 2015
Accepted: July 3, 2015
Article in press: July 3, 2015
Published online: September 7, 2015
Abstract

Esophageal, gastric, and colorectal cancers are deadly diseases that continue to plague our world today. The value of screening endoscopy in evaluating these types of cancers is a critical area of discussion due to a potential reduction in morbidity and mortality. This article describes how to identify a good screening test and explains what are important criteria in the field of screening endoscopy. Furthermore, the current status and progress of screening endoscopy for esophageal, gastric, and colorectal cancer will be evaluated and discussed. Mass screening programs have not been implemented for esophageal and gastric carcinomas in those with average or low risk populations. However, studies of high-risk populations have found value and a cost-benefit in conducting screening endoscopy. Colorectal cancer, on the other hand, has had mass screening programs in place for many years due to the clear evidence of improved outcomes. As the role of endoscopy as a screening tool has continued to develop, newer technology and techniques have emerged to improve its utility. Many new image enhancement techniques and computer processing programs have shown promise and may have a significant role in the future of endoscopic screening. These developments are paving the way for improving the diagnostic and therapeutic capability of endoscopy in the field of gastroenterology.

Keywords: Endoscopic screening, Esophageal cancer, Gastric cancer, Esophagogastroduodenoscopy, Colon cancer

Core tip: The value of screening endoscopy in evaluating esophageal, gastric, and colon cancers is a critical area of discussion due to a potential reduction in morbidity and mortality. Studies have found value and cost-benefit in conducting screening endoscopy in esophageal and gastric cancer in high-risk populations. Colorectal cancer has had mass screening programs implemented for many years due to the clear evidence of improved outcomes. New innovations in technology have emerged and shown promise in playing a significant role in the future of endoscopic screening. These developments are paving the way for improving the diagnostic capability of endoscopy in the field of gastroenterology.