BEST 2 and BEST 3 trial images

• More than 3300 Cytosponge-derived samples taken from patients either with Barret’s oesophagus or at a high risk as a result of heart burn and other conditions
• Dataset contains digitised pathology slides, biopsy outcomes and linked endoscopy results (subject to approval by our clinical collaborator)
• Clinical annotation of areas of atypia can be found on around 300 slides

The BEST 2/3 trial images are a database of clinically-linked digitised pathology slides, generated during the BEST 2 and and BEST 3 clinical trials. (See here and here, respectively.) These trials were aimed at testing the feasibility of a new sampling method known as the Cytosponge.

The Cytosponge is a pill on a string which dissolves to release a sponge that can then be removed to gather samples from the oesophagus, and it has proven to be a successful alternative to endoscopy testing for patients at high risk of developing oesophageal cancer. During these trials, 3350 patient samples were collected and stained using standard H&E techniques, with additional staining for oesophageal cancer-related biomarker TFF3; they were subsequently digitised and a small number (~300) have since been expertly annotated to highlight regions of atypia. In addition to the digitised slides, biopsy results and the outcomes of complementary endoscopy testing can be provided upon approval from our clinical collaborator.

We would be happy to discuss non-exclusive licensing of these assets with companies in the digital pathology space or other related areas.