Endoscopic grading of gastric intestinal metaplasia on risk assessment for early gastric neoplasia: can we replace histology assessment also in the West?

This study confirms the role of histological assessment as an independent risk factor for gastric cancer (GC), but it is the first study to show that an endoscopic classification of gastric intestinal metaplasia is highly associated with that outcome. After further prospective validation, this classification may be appropriate for GC risk stratification and may simplify every day practice by reducing the need for biopsies.