A trial looking at how often to monitor people with Barrett's oesophagus (BOSS study)

This trial is to find out if it is better to monitor people with Barrett’s oesophagus every 2 years or to wait until they have a change in their symptoms.

Barrett's oesophagus is a condition where the cells in the lining of the food pipe (oesophagus) change and become abnormal. People with Barrett's oesophagus have a small increased risk of developing oesophageal cancer.

People with Barrett's oesophagus may have regular tests called endoscopies to check if the abnormal cells have become more severe or cancerous. This is called surveillance.

It is not clear yet whether surveillance picks up oesophageal cancer at an earlier stage. Some doctors think that these regular checks may not be necessary and it may be better for people to have an endoscopy only if they need it.

Having an endoscopy can cause anxiety and for a small number of people it may cause short term side effects, such as discomfort, pain or breathing problems. So it is important that people do not have tests they do not need.

The aim of this trial is to see if it is better for people with Barrett’s oesophagus to have an endoscopy every 2 years or to wait until their symptoms get worse.