Abstract

Cancer of the oesophagus is a global problem with high mortality due to late diagnosis. The accessibility of the oesophagus makes it possible to collect cells non-endoscopically using the Cytosponge and apply biomarkers on the retrieved material to detect pre-cancerous lesions. The progress in using a variety of genetic and protein biomarkers to diagnose metaplasia and assess the degree of dysplasia in Barrett’s and squamous cell dysplasia will be discussed. In addition the path to clinical application for Cytosponge-biomarker testing will be discussed.