Inclusion Criteria:

Subjects with known or suspected Barrett’s Esophagus (BE) (cases):

• Patient between the ages of 18 – 90.
• Patients with a BE segment ≥ 1cm in maximal extent endoscopically or suspected BE in medical record.
• Histology showing evidence of intestinal metaplasia with or without presence of dysplasia or suspected BE in medical record.
• Undergoing clinically indicated endoscopy.

Subjects without known history of BE (controls):

• Undergoing clinically indicated diagnostic endoscopy.
• Subjects with GERD and one or more additional risk factors for BE including:[IPGM1] 
  • Male sex;
  • age ≥ 50 years;
  • Caucasian race;
  • Presence of central obesity (BMI ≥ 30);
  • Current or past history of smoking.

Exclusion Criteria:

For subjects with known BE

• Patients with prior history of ablation (photodynamic therapy, radiofrequency ablation, cryotherapy, argon plasma coagulation). Patients with history of endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR)/endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) alone will not be excluded.
• Patients with history of surgical resection for esophageal carcinoma. 

For subjects with or without known evidence of BE (on history or review of medical records):

• Pregnant or lactating females.
• Patients who are unable to consent.
• Patients with current history of uninvestigated dysphagia.
• History of eosinophilic esophagitis, achalasia.
• Patients on oral anticoagulation including Coumadin, Warfarin.
• Patients on antiplatelet agents including Clopidogrel, unless discontinued for three to five days prior to the Cytosponge procedure.
• Patients on oral thrombin inhibitors including Dabigatran and oral factor X a inhibitors such as rivaroxaban, apixaban and edoxaban, unless discontinued for three to five days prior to the Cytosponge procedure.
• Patients with history of known esophageal or gastric varices or cirrhosis.
• Patients with history of surgical esophageal resection for esophageal carcinoma. 
• Patients with congenital or acquired bleeding diatheses.
• Patients with a history of esophageal squamous dysplasia.
• Patient has known carcinoma of the foregut (pancreatic, bile duct, ampullary, stomach, or duodenum) within 5 years prior to study enrollment.
• Patient has received chemotherapy class drugs or radiation to treat mediastinal or esophageal cancer.

Eligibility last updated 10/5/22. Questions regarding updates should be directed to the study team contact.