Review for 10.1186/s12876-017-0707-5 (2017)

Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title:  Evaluation of the visibility of early gastric cancer using linked color imaging and blue 
laser imaging  
 
Version: 0 Date: 20 Mar 2017 
 
Reviewer:  Chang Seok  Bang  
 
Reviewer’s report:  
 
Thanks to authors for presenting interesting article to BMC gastroenterology. Several studies 
have implicated the usefulness of LCI for the detection of H. pylori infection or LST of colon. 
Although the subject of this study is fancy, the methodology have many pitfalls. As authors 
described in the discussion section, this study used retrospective cohort format and selection bias 
cannot be excluded. Only 6 endoscopist evaluated the endoscopic images and kappa value is not 
also satisfactory. The endoscopic ex perience of endoscopists could influence the result and 
addition of test -retest reliability could enhance the methodological power.  
 
Minor concerns  
 
1. Why did authors get a permission of ESD from patients rather than permission of 
enrollment of this study?  
 
2. Introduction section is too long.  
 
3. Please organize manuscript according to the journal's policy.  
 
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.  
 
No 
 
Does the work include the necessary controls?  
If not, please specify which controls are required in your comments to the authors.  
 
No 
 
Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
 
No 
 
Are you able to  assess any statistics in the manuscript or would you recommend an 
additional statistical review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommended, please specify what aspects require further 
assessment in your comments to the editors.  
 
Not relevan t to this manuscript  
 
Quality of written English  
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscript:  
 
Acceptable  
 
Declaration of competing interests  
Please complete a declaration of competing interests, considering the following questions:  
 
1. Have you in  the past five years received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an 
organisation that may in any way gain or lose financially from the publication of this 
manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
2. Do you hold any stocks or shares in an organisation that may in any way gain or lose 
financially from the publication of this manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
3. Do you hold or are you currently applying for any patents relating to the content of the 
manuscript?  
 
4. Have you received reimbur sements, fees, funding, or salary from an organization that 
holds or has applied for patents relating to the content of the manuscript?  
 
5. Do you have any other financial competing interests?  
 
6. Do you have any non -financial competing interests in relation to this paper?  
 
If you can answer no to all of the above, write 'I declare that I have no competing interests' 
below. If your reply is yes to any, please give details below.  
 
I declare that I have no competing interests  
 
I agree to the open peer review policy  of the journal. I understand that my name will be included 
on my report to the authors and, if the manuscript is accepted for publication, my named report 
including any attachments I upload will be posted on the website along with the authors' 
responses. I agree for my report to be made available under an Open Access Creative Commons 
CC-BY license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ). I understand that any comments 
which I do not wish to be  included in my named report can be included as confidential comments 
to the editors, which will not be published . 
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal