Esophageal cancer: How far should we screen?

The incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma has increased more than five-fold over the past four decades in the U.S. While the rate of rise in incidence of esophageal cancer has slowed somewhat in recent years, this malignancy is still associated with a dismal prognosis. Barrett’s esophagus, the precursor lesion to esophageal cancer, is easily identifiable on routine upper endoscopy and can be monitored for the development of precancerous changes. We generally assume that by performing endoscopic surveillance in our Barrett’s patients, we can detect high-grade dysplasia and esophageal cancer at early stages when it is still easily treatable. Therefore, shouldn’t we perform screening endoscopies with the goal of identifying all patients with Barrett’s esophagus? Continue reading ... Your patients are rating you online: How to respond. Manage your online reputation: A social media guide. Find out how.
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - Category: Journals (General) Authors: Tags: Conditions Cancer GI Source Type: blogs