Abstract: Objective To assess the value of narrow-band imaging (NBI) technology combined with magnifying endoscopy (ME) Japan Esophageal Society(JES)classification in the diagnosis of early esophageal cancer. Methods We retrospectively collected 203 suspected early esophageal cancer lesions found by white light endoscopy or biopsy. All lesions were conducted narrow-band imaging magnifying endoscopy(NBI-ME) examination and received endoscopic or surgical treatment in Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University from January 2014 to October 2020. The value of JES classification for the diagnosis of invasion depth was analyzed with postoperative histopathology as the “gold standard”. Results The accuracy of JES classification B1 and B2 under NBI-ME in prediction the depth of invasion of early esophageal cancer were 63.5%(95%CI:63.3%-63.8%) and 71.9% (95%CI:71.7%-72.1%), the sensitivity were 65.7% (95%CI:58.0%-73.5%) and 75.0% (95%CI:60.0%-90.0%), and the specificity were 58.3% (95%CI 45.9%-70.8%) and 71.3% (95%CI:64.6%-78.1%), respectively. Comparing the consistency of JES classification under NBI-ME and postoperative pathology to determine the depth of lesions, Kappa value was 0.25 with statistical difference (P<0.01). Conclusion To a certain extent, JES classification could diagnose and predict the depth of early esophageal cancer, with a limited consistency between the prediction results and the gold standard. It is necessary to improve JES classification with more large-sample controlled studies of multi-center large samples.

Key words: early esophageal cancer, endoscopic treatment, depth of tumor invasion, accuracy