Swallow a sponge to detect esophageal cancer? new study investigates

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria Aim1: * Male and female ages 50-85 * Patients who have three or more risk factors for Barrett's Esophagus. * Gastroesophageal reflux disease defined by: * Diagnosis * Use of one of the following drugs \>= 3 months over the last 5 years: omeprazole, esomeprazole, pantoprazole, rabeprazole, dexlansoprazole, lansoprazole, ranitidine, famotidine, cimetidine * prior endoscopic diagnosis of erosive esophagitis * Body mass index (BMI) \>= 30 Exclusion Criteria Aim1 and Aim 3: * Previous history of: * esophageal adenocarcinoma/cancer * esophageal squamous carcinoma * endoscopic ablation for Barrett's esophagus * esophageal squamous dysplasia * Current treatment with oral anticoagulation including Warfarin, Coumadin * History of cirrhosis * History of esophageal/gastric varices * History of Barrett's esophagus * Prior endoscopy in the last 5 years Inclusion criteria Aim 2 and Aim 3: * Subjects with known or suspected BE (cases). * Patient between the ages 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. Exclusion criteria Aim 2: * 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 esophageal 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 (this does not apply to the brushings/biopsies only portion of the study). * History of eosinophilic esophagitis, achalasia. * Patients on oral anticoagulation including Coumadin, Warfarin (this does not apply to the brushings/biopsies only portion of the study). * Patients on antiplatelet agents including Clopidogrel, unless discontinued for three to five days prior to the sponge procedure. * Patients on oral thrombin inhibitors including Dabigatran and oral factor Xa inhibitors such as rivaroxaban, apixaban and edoxaban, unless discontinued for three to five days prior to the sponge 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.