The International Barrett’s and Esophageal Adenocarcinoma Consortium (BEACON) was set up in 2005 with support from NCI and is composed of over three dozen investigators with completed or ongoing epidemiologic studies of esophageal adenocarcinoma and/or Barrett’s esophagus. This open scientific forum now has more than 50 members who have research interests in the etiology and prevention of these diseases, and consortium members have conducted epidemiologic studies of these diseases in North America, Western Europe, and Australia. Analyses from the BEACON group so far have included reproductive factors, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and excess risk models in relation to esophageal adenocarcinoma and esophagogastric junctional adenocarcinoma. More information about BEACON may be found on the website, http://beacon.tlvnet.net/.