For Barrett's esophagus with no dysplasia, what is the recommended endoscopic surveillance interval?

For Barrett's esophagus with no dysplasia, what is the recommended endoscopic surveillance interval?

• A. Endoscopy every 12 months
• B. No surveillance is needed
• C. Endoscopy every 5 years
• D. Endoscopy every 3 years

Answer: (D)

Nondysplastic Barrett's esophagus has a small ongoing risk of progressing to cancer, so surveillance is done to catch any progression early. Because the risk is low, the interval between endoscopies is longer than for dysplastic disease, aiming to balance safety with practicality and resource use. Endoscopy every 3 years is the typical interval used for nondysplastic Barrett's esophagus, reflecting this balance. Doing it annually would be more burdensome without a proportional increase in benefit, while waiting 5 years could miss a developing dysplasia. So the 3-year interval best fits the goal of timely detection without over-testing.

Nondysplastic Barrett's esophagus has a small ongoing risk of progressing to cancer, so surveillance is done to catch any progression early. Because the risk is low, the interval between endoscopies is longer than for dysplastic disease, aiming to balance safety with practicality and resource use. Endoscopy every 3 years is the typical interval used for nondysplastic Barrett's esophagus, reflecting this balance. Doing it annually would be more burdensome without a proportional increase in benefit, while waiting 5 years could miss a developing dysplasia. So the 3-year interval best fits the goal of timely detection without over-testing.