Multicenter Prospective Randomized Controlled Study On the Detection and Diagnosis of Superficial Squamous Cell Carcinoma By Back-to-Back Endoscopic Examination of Narrowband Imaging and White Light Observation

Background: White light sourced from a xenon lamp has been used in conventional endoscopic examination. While narrowband imaging (NBI), a new optical technique, is expected to improve the detection and diagnostic accuracy of gastrointestinal neoplasm, on-site and real-time diagnostic power is obscure. Clinical diagnoses of squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus (ESCC) and the head-and-neck region (HNSCC) are usually made at advanced stages, resulting in poor prognoses. Although lugol chromoendoscopy can be used to detect ESCC at an early stage, it causes severe chest pain and discomfort and is not used for screening for HNSCC because of the risk of aspiration.