This article explores advances in endoscopic neoplasia detection with supporting clinical evidence and future aims. The ability to detect early gastric neoplastic lesions amenable to curative endoscopic submucosal dissection provides the opportunity to decrease gastric cancer mortality rates. Newer imaging techniques offer enhanced views of mucosal and microvascular structures and show promise in differentiating benign from malignant lesions and improving targeted biopsies. Conventional chromoendoscopy is well studied and validated. Narrow band imaging demonstrates superiority over magnified white light. Autofluorescence imaging, i-scan, flexible spectral imaging color enhancement, and bright image enhanced endoscopy show promise but insufficient evidence to change current clinical practice.

This study assessed the efficacy of autofluorescence endoscopy (AFE) using the Onco-LIFE system and numerical color value (NCV) estimation in comparison to white light endoscopy (WLE) in endoscopic surveillance for identification of early dysplasia in Barrett's esophagus (BE) to aid in real-time image elucidation and minimize the overreliance on biopsy and histology.

AFE, performed simultaneously during WLE, with biopsy was performed among 24 patients with BE. None of these patients had any obvious mucosal abnormalities in WLE. A total of 376 biopsies were taken, include 325 randomly collected according to Seattle Protocol and 51 additional biopsies, taken from the sites with pathological AF and NCV. All biopsy sites were assessed in vivo using WLE, AFE and NCV and compared to histological examinations, to estimate the efficacy of these methods in dysplasia assessment in BE.

In the case of 248 biopsies taken from sites with NCV below 1.0, two cases of unspecified dysplasia were recognized; in 14 biopsies with NCV above 2.0 in all cases the various grades of dysplasia were documented. Dysplasia was found in 42% of AFE + NCV- guided biopsy specimens, and in 7.1% of WLE-guided biopsy specimens. AFE + NCV detected high-grade dysplasia in 7 patients, 6 more than according to Seattle Protocol in WLE. The expected odds of dysplasia detection in a sample increases almost 1.9 times, if it was selected by the AFE method (p < 0.001), when compared to WLE and with accordance with Seattle Protocol guided biopsy.

The above results indicate that AFE + NCV using the Onco-LIFE system leads to improved BE lesion visualization for targeted biopsy with accurate histologic correlation compared to WLE and Seattle Protocol guided biopsy alone, and can serve to minimize additional biopsies.

Molecular imaging is based on the labelling of defined molecular targets through the utilization of fluorescently linked probes and their subsequent detection with high-resolution endoscopic devices, thereby enabling visualization of single molecules including receptors. Whereas early studies have used molecular imaging for improved visualization and detection of early dysplasia and cancer as well as for assessing intestinal inflammation and inflammation-associated cancer within the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, more recent studies have impressively demonstrated that molecular imaging can also be used to characterize and visualize the molecular fingerprint of cancer and inflammation in vivo and in real time. With this, molecular imaging can be used to guide expression-tailored individualized therapy. With the rapid expansion and diversification of the repertoire of biological agents utilized in inflammatory bowel disease and cancer, this approach is gaining increasing attention. Within this review, we first summarize the technical components commonly used for molecular imaging and then review preclinical and clinical studies and evolving clinical applications on molecular imaging within the lower GI tract. Molecular imaging has the potential to significantly change endoscopic diagnosis and subsequent targeted therapy of gastrointestinal cancer and chronic gastrointestinal diseases.

White light endoscopy has proven to be a very powerful tool in oncology. There is still, however, a need for better endoscopic techniques to overcome the current limitations of white light optics. New technologies that allow higher sensitivity, improved microanatomy and molecular characterization have been available for in vitro microscopy and are now being translated into in vivo endoscopy. Endoscopic molecular imaging is still in its infancy but holds the promise for enhancing sensitivity for early lesions, thus allowing earlier diagnosis and enabling early image-guided endoscopic intervention. A key feature of endoscopic molecular imaging is its increased sensitivity and specificity, which will be illustrated in this article, as well as describing perspectives on its future use in oncologic surgery.

Molecular imaging has emerged as a new discipline in gastrointestinal endoscopy. This technology encompasses modalities that can visualize disease-specific morphological or functional tissue changes based on the molecular signature of individual cells. Molecular imaging has several advantages including minimal damage to tissues, repetitive visualization, and utility for conducting quantitative analyses. Advancements in basic science coupled with endoscopy have made early detection of gastrointestinal cancer possible. Molecular imaging during gastrointestinal endoscopy requires the development of safe biomarkers and exogenous probes to detect molecular changes in cells with high specificity anda high signal-to-background ratio. Additionally, a high-resolution endoscope with an accurate wide-field viewing capability must be developed. Targeted endoscopic imaging is expected to improve early diagnosis and individual therapy of gastrointestinal cancer.

This study aimed to assess and compare effectiveness of Autofluorescence imaging (AFI) in diagnosis of early gastric cancer (EGC) between experienced and less experienced endoscopists. Fifty selected images (20 neoplastic lesions and 30 benign lesions/areas) of both white light endoscopy (WLE) and AFI were blindly reviewed by two groups; first consisted of five experienced endoscopists and second included five less experienced endoscopists. Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were 70%, 78%, and 75%, respectively, for AFI and 81%, 76%, and 78%, respectively, for WLE in the experienced group. In the less experienced group, sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were 80%, 81% and 80%, respectively, for AFI and 65%, 77%, and 72%, respectively, for WLE. Interobserver variability for the less experienced group was better with AFI than WLE. AFI improved sensitivity of endoscopic diagnosis of neoplastic lesions by less experienced endoscopists, and its use could beneficially enhance the clinical effectiveness of EGC screening.