Barrett’s esophagus is a condition in which the lining of the esophagus changes, becoming more like the lining of the small intestine rather than the esophagus. This occurs in the area where the esophagus is joined to the stomach.
It is believed that the main reason that Barrett’s esophagus develops is because of chronic inflammation resulting from Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD). Barrett’s esophagus is more common in people who have had GERD for a long period of time or who developed it at a young age. It is interesting that the frequency or the intensity of GERD symptoms, such as heartburn, does not affect the likelihood that someone will develop Barrett’s esophagus.
Most patients with Barrett’s esophagus will not develop cancer. In some patients, however, a precancerous change in the tissue, called dysplasia, will develop. That precancerous change is more likely to develop into esophageal cancer.
At the current time, a diagnosis of Barrett’s esophagus can only be made using endoscopy and detecting a change in the lining of the esophagus that can be confirmed by a biopsy of the tissue. The definitive diagnosis of Barrett’s esophagus requires biopsy confirmation of the change in the lining of the esophagus.
There are two main types of esophageal cancer: squamous cell cancer and adenocarcinoma of the esophagus. Squamous cell cancers occur most commonly in individuals who smoke cigarettes,use tobacco products and drink alcohol. In addition, African Americans are also at increased risk of developing this type of cancer. This cancer is also very common in many areas in Asia. The frequency of squamous cell cancer of the esophagus in the United States has remained the same. Another cancer, adenocarcinoma of the esophagus, occurs most commonly in people with GERD. It is also very common in Caucasian males with increased body weight. Adenocarcinoma of the esophagus is increasing in frequency in the United States.
The most common symptom of GERD is heartburn, a condition that 20 percent of American adults experience at least twice a week. Although these individuals are at increased risk of developing esophageal cancer, the vast majority of them will never develop it. In a few patients with GERD (about 10 to 15 percent of patients), a change in the lining of the esophagus develops near the area where the esophagus and stomach join. When this happens, the condition is called Barrett’s esophagus. Doctors believe that most cases of adenocarcinoma of the esophagus begin in Barrett’s esophagus.
Your doctor will first perform an imaging procedure of the esophagus using endoscopy to see if there are sufficient changes for Barrett’s esophagus. In an upper endoscopy, the physician passes a thin, flexible tube called an endoscope through your mouth and into the esophagus, stomach and duodenum. The endoscope has a camera lens and a light source and projects images onto a video monitor. This allows the physician to see if there is a change in the lining of the esophagus. If your doctor suspects Barrett’s esophagus, a sample of tissue (a biopsy) will be taken to make a definitive diagnosis.
Taking a sample of the tissue from the esophagus through an endoscope only slightly lengthens the procedure time, causes no discomfort and rarely causes complications. Our office can usually tell you the results of your endoscopy and/or send the results to your patient portal after the procedure, but you will have to wait a few days for the biopsy results. It is recommended that you make a follow up appointment with Dr. Simoni to go over the results in person.
Barrett’s esophagus is twice as common in men as women. It tends to occur more in middle aged Caucasian men who have had heartburn for many years, but it can also be found in women and young adults as well. There is no agreement among experts on who should be screened. Even in patients with heartburn, Barrett’s esophagus is uncommon and esophageal cancer is rare. But if one has undiagnosed Barrett’s, it can convert to esophageal cancer over the years. Unfortunately, Barrett’s esophagus is similar to having colon polyps which may have no signs or symptoms in majority of cases. More than 75% of patients who have been diagnosed with Barrett’s esophagus, often have no symptoms, or may have had symptoms that had dissipated over the years. Majority of experts agree and recommend to screen patients who have had significant heartburn or who have required regular use of medications to control heartburn for several years. There is a great deal of ongoing research in this area and so recommendations may change. You should check with Dr. Simoni on the latest recommendations.
Medicines and/or surgery can effectively control the symptoms of GERD. However, neither medications nor surgery for GERD can reverse the presence of Barrett’s esophagus or eliminate the risk of cancer. There are some treatments available that can destroy the Barrett’s tissue. These treatments may decrease the development of cancer in some patients and include heat (radiofrequency ablation, thermal ablation with argon plasma coagulation and multipolar coagulation), cold energy (cryotherapy) or the use of light and special chemicals (photodynamic therapy). Currently, radiofrequency ablation seems to have the highest rate of elimination of Barrett’s esophagus. There are potential risks from these treatments and they may not benefit the majority of patients with Barrett’s esophagus. There is much research being conducted in this area; you should talk with Dr. Simoni about recommendations and guidelines.
Dysplasia is a precancerous condition that doctors can only diagnose by examining tissue samples under a microscope. When dysplasia is seen in the tissue sample, it is usually described as being “high-grade,” “low-grade” or “indefinite for dysplasia.”
In high-grade dysplasia, abnormal changes are seen in many of the cells and there is an abnormal growth pattern of the cells. Low-grade dysplasia means that there are some abnormal changes seen in the tissue sample but the changes do not involve most of the cells, and the growth pattern of the cells is still normal. “Indefinite for dysplasia” simply means that the pathologist is not certain whether changes seen in the tissue are caused by dysplasia. Other conditions, such as inflammation or swelling of the esophageal lining, can make cells appear dysplastic when they may not be.
It is advisable to have any diagnosis of dysplasia confirmed by two different pathologists to ensure that this condition is present in the biopsy. If dysplasia is confirmed, Dr. Simoni might recommend more frequent endoscopies, or a procedure that attempts to destroy the Barrett’s tissue or esophageal surgery. Dr. Simoni will recommend an option based on how advanced the dysplasia is and your overall medical condition.
The risk of esophageal cancer developing in patients with Barrett’s esophagus is quite low, approximately 0.5 percent per year (or 1 out of 200 per year). Therefore, the diagnosis of Barrett’s esophagus should not be a reason for alarm. It is, however, a reason to have periodic upper endoscopy examinations with biopsy of the Barrett’s tissue. If your initial biopsies don’t show dysplasia, endoscopy with biopsy should be repeated about once a year. If your biopsy shows dysplasia, Dr. Simoni will make further recommendations regarding the next steps.
Barrett’s Esophagus is related to GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease), which occurs when contents in the stomach flow back into the esophagus due to the valve between the stomach and the esophagus not closing properly. Therefore, just taking medications that relieve the heartburn symptoms do not necessarily prevent Barrett’s esophagus from developing.
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Advanced Gastroenterology, Inc.
Phone: (805) 719-0244
555 Marin Street, Ste. 270
Thousand Oaks, CA 91360
