Interview with Raf Bisschops: From screening to treatment of Barrett's esophagus

Professor Raf Bisschops is considered a worldwide expert of Barrett’s Esophagus. He has conducted pioneering works in the field of advanced endoscopic imaging and therapeutics of this condition. Among his latest works are developments on computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) systems with White-Light Endoscopy (WLE), Narrow-Band Imaging (NBI) and Blue-Light Imaging (BLI), which may assist endoscopists in the characterization of Barrett’s mucosa and on the use of cryoablation and radiofrequency ablation for the eradication of Barrett’s Esophagus. The interview starts from the very beginning of Prof. Raf Bisschops’s career and covers several debated issues surrounding Barrett’s Esophagus, such as screening, surveillance, use of advanced endoscopic imaging techniques with their advantages and pitfalls, chemoprevention of cancer and the treatment of patients. Finally, the interview concludes with some advice for fellows in endoscopy training who are approaching Barrett’s Esophagus therapeutic techniques.