Gastroenterology societies recommend surveillance for non-dysplastic Barrett's but do not give guidance on when to stop. This modeling study suggests that the optimal age for last surveillance of NDBE patients depends on the sex and the comorbidity level of patients.
The authors review the incidence of BE and EAC and associated risk factors, evidence for improved outcomes among patients with a prior diagnosis of BE compared to those without, and the challenges of developing accurate prediction models in the context of high population prevalence of risk factors.
A SEER-based observational study lends yet more evidence that aspirin, PPIs, statins and possibly metformin may reduce risk of EAC in persons with or without diagnosed Barrett's esophagus.
This impressive randomized trial observed an approximately 10-fold increase in detection of Barrett's with use of the Cytosponge non-endoscopic test. Nine persons in the Cytosponge group were found to have treatable dysplasia or early stage cancer vs. none in the usual care group.
Dr. Bill Grady and colleagues review the status of chemopreventatives for progression of Barrett's to esophageal adenocarcinoma
Kit Curtius and colleagues demonstrate how mathematical modeling of cancer evolution can be used to optimize age at initial screening for Barrett's and esophageal adenocarcinoma, suggesting an older start.
This study from Kaiser Permanente Northern California oberved that early onset of reflux symptoms approximately doubles risk of Barrett's esophagus, and that both severity and frequency of reflux symptoms are important in predicting risk.
Dr. Petrick and colleagues reported on childhood obesity and subsequent risk of esophageal and gastric cancer in over 60,000 young Danish men. This is one of the first studies that indicate that reduction in obesity between childhood and adulthood may reduce subsequent risk.
This provocative study, while based on a chart review, suggests that persons with obstructive sleep apnea have a three-fold increased risk of BE even after controlling for obesity and reflux symptoms.
This paper describes the development of the IC-RISC™ calculator and provides examples of its application in the general population and among persons with Barrett’s esophagus. (See “What’s Your Risk” menu above for the actual calculator.)
An educational resource dedicated to the prevention and control of esophageal cancer. Each year over 600,000 people in the world are diagnosed with esophageal cancer. Unfortunately most do not survive more than a year, making it the sixth most common cause of cancer-related death. Much is known about the
The esophagus (blue in figure) is a muscular tube that carries food from the back of the mouth (pharynx – green) to the stomach (red) (figure 1). Cancers that occur in this organ are often difficult to treat, in part because “alarm symptoms” such as difficulty swallowing (dysphagia) or bleeding often