The U.S. National Cancer Institute recently released new data and analyses from the national SEER program of population-based cancer registries. They highlighted that there are now more than 18.6 million cancer survivors in the U.S. (as of 2023), and 5-year survival has reached 70%, reflecting continued progress
While smoking and alcohol intake are the major causes of esophageal squamous cell carcinomas in most populations, exposure to environmental and occupational agents have been linked to increased risk in a number of settings (Etemadi, et al., JNCI 2024 Mar 7;116(3):379-388. doi: 10.1093/jnci/djad218. PMID:
This systematic review from investigators at the Karolinska Institute and Fujian Medical University evaluates nine risk prediction models from seven studies aimed at identifying individuals at high risk for esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) to improve targeted screening and early detection. The models commonly use predictors such as age, sex, GERD symptoms,
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
Esophageal Adenocarcinoma Epidemiologic and clinical research has revealed many risk factors which, taken together, can help estimate a person’s probability of developing esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). These include: * demographic factors, * host and lifestyle factors, * medications, * family history, and * genetic markers. In the general population, symptomatic gastroesophageal reflux (sGERD), obesity, cigarette
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This paper describes findings from a multicenter prospective study conducted across 13 hospitals in the UK. Participants were patients (n = 910) with a known diagnosis of non-dysplastic Barrett's esophagus who underwent a capsule-sponge (Cytosponge) test followed by endoscopy. The Cytosponge test combined with biomarker analysis, including p53 staining
The Fred Hutch Cancer Center (Seattle, WA) concisely presents helpful information on causes, symptoms and treatment options for both types of esophageal cancer, as well as additional resources for patients.
This article provides a mechanistic framework relating obesity to increased risk of a number of gastrointestinal cancers, including esophageal adenocarcinoma. It also highlights the potential of weight loss interventions (e.g., lifestyle, pharmacologic, surgical) to reduce GI cancer risk. The authors describe a complex interplay of metabolic, inflammatory, microbial, and
This article addresses an interesting question: why are Barrett's esophagus patients not offered specialist counseling in much the same way as persons carrying genetic mutations (e.g., BRCA1/2) that confer increased cancer risk? Dr. Davies examines the contrasting approaches in UK NICE guidelines regarding psychosocial support for
Drinking very hot beverages has long been suspected of causing esophageal squamous cell carcinoma through thermal injury; the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified it as "probably carcinogenic to humans." Much of the supporting evidence comes from studies in South America, particularly southern Brazil and
The journal "Best Practice & Research Clinical Gastroenterology" has dedicated an entire issue toward research on the secondary prevention of esophageal and other upper GI cancers. These review articles include such topics as artificial intelligence, risk-based screening and cost effectiveness. Rather than summarizing these 12 informative articles, I
Although esophageal cancer remains one of the most deadly cancers, this Swedish population-based study from the Karolinska Institutet documents steady improvement in five-year survival rates over the past two decades. Among 2,291 patients undergoing esophageal cancer surgery, survival increased by about 3% per year despite patients being older and
This large prospective observational study evaluated the potential usefulness of the Capsule Sponge (CS) test – a non-invasive method of collecting cellular samples from the esophageal lining – in a "real-world" setting at multiple NHS hospitals in the UK. Among the 2,170 patients who had a CS test, there
Persons with esophagogastric adenocarcinoma who undergo neoadjuvant therapy and curative-intent surgery are unfortunately still at risk for recurrence even with pathological complete (or near-complete) treatment response. If those likely to experience recurrence could be identified early they might benefit from additional treatment such as immunotherapy. This preliminary study investigates the
From South Australia's Flinders University, Dr. Aoki and colleagues report on a cost-effectiveness analysis of various screening strategies for identifying Barrett's esophagus (BE) in the community, The study examined four primary screening tools: non-weighted clinical risk stratification, weighted risk stratification, the Cytosponge-TFF3 device, and traditional endoscopy
This impressive multicenter study by Miyoshi et al. introduces a new diagnostic tool named EMERALD, which is a six-circulating miRNA signature designed to effectively differentiate patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) and its precursor, Barrett's esophagus (BE), from non-disease controls. The research involved analyzing 792 patient samples across four
Esophageal adenocarcinoma is quite rare among persons younger than 40 years, but the consequences of the disease, including years of life lost, can be devastating. Due to its rarity there has been little research on how risk factors in young persons (e.g., Barrett's esophagus (BE), obesity, GERD,
