Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Clinical Trial
. 2022 Dec;53(4):948-957.
doi: 10.1007/s12029-021-00703-0. Epub 2021 Sep 24.

Virtual Biopsy by Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy in Barrett's Carcinoma

Sandra Blößer  1   2 , Andrea May  1   2 , Lukas Welsch  3 , Michael Ast  4 , Susanne Braun  5 , Thomas Velten  6 , Margit Biehl  6 , Jonas Tschammer  7 , Elke Roeb  8 , Mate Knabe  9
Affiliations
Clinical Trial

Virtual Biopsy by Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy in Barrett's Carcinoma

Sandra Blößer et al. J Gastrointest Cancer. 2022 Dec.

Abstract

Purpose: Early detection of adenocarcinomas in the esophagus is crucial for achieving curative endoscopic therapy. Targeted biopsies of suspicious lesions, as well as four-quadrant biopsies, represent the current diagnostic standard. However, this procedure is time-consuming, cost-intensive, and examiner-dependent. The aim of this study was to test whether impedance spectroscopy is capable of distinguishing between healthy, premalignant, and malignant lesions. An ex vivo measurement method was developed to examine esophageal lesions using impedance spectroscopy immediately after endoscopic resection.

Methods: After endoscopic resection of suspicious lesions in the esophagus, impedance measurements were performed on resected cork-covered tissue using a measuring head that was developed, with eight gold electrodes, over 10 different measurement settings and with frequencies from 100 Hz to 1 MHz.

Results: A total of 105 measurements were performed in 60 patients. A dataset of 400 per investigation and a total of more than 42,000 impedance measurements were therefore collected. Electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was able to detect dysplastic esophageal mucosa with a sensitivity of 81% in Barrett's esophagus.

Conclusion: In summary, EIS was able to distinguish different tissue characteristics in the different esophageal tissues. EIS thus holds potential for further development of targeted biopsies during surveillance endoscopy. Trial Registration NCT04046601.

Keywords: Barrett’s cancer; Electrical impedance spectroscopy; Esophageal carcinoma; Virtual biopsy.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Measurement probe and interconnection principles
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Setup of the measurement system
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Wilcoxon test not adjusted and adjusted
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Mean values for P5 measurements
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Receiving operating characteristics curve for P5 measurements
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Pech O, Behrens A, May A, et al. Long-term results and risk factor analysis for recurrence after curative endoscopic therapy in 349 patients with high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia and mucosal adenocarcinoma in Barrett’s oesophagus. Gut. 2008;57(9):1200–1206. doi: 10.1136/gut.2007.142539. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Global Burden of Disease Cancer C, Fitzmaurice C, Abate D, et al. Global, regional, and national cancer incidence, mortality, years of life lost, years lived with disability, and disability-adjusted life-years for 29 cancer groups, 1990 to 2017: a systematic analysis for the global burden of disease study. JAMA Oncol. Sep 27 2019. 10.1001/jamaoncol.2019.2996. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Bennett C, Vakil N, Bergman J, et al. Consensus statements for management of Barrett’s dysplasia and early-stage esophageal adenocarcinoma, based on a Delphi process. Gastroenterology. 2012;143(2):336–346. doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2012.04.032. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. American Gastroenterological A, Spechler SJ, Sharma P, Souza RF, Inadomi JM, Shaheen NJ. American Gastroenterological Association medical position statement on the management of Barrett’s esophagus. Gastroenterology. 2011;140(3):1084–1091. doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2011.01.030. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Vakil N, van Zanten SV, Kahrilas P, Dent J, Jones R, Global Consensus G. The Montreal definition and classification of gastroesophageal reflux disease: a global evidence-based consensus. Am J Gastroenterol. Aug 2006;101(8):1900–20; quiz 1943. 10.1111/j.1572-0241.2006.00630.x. - PubMed

Publication types

Associated data