What’re the complications of with Barrett's esophagus?
Having Barrett's esophagus increases your risk of developing esophageal cancer. The earlier that metaplasia - the telltale changing of the color of the tissue that lines the lower esophagus from its normal pink to a salmon color - is detected, the
better.
Barrett's esophagus may develop precancerous changes (dysplasia) in grades ranging from none to mild but still significant changes (low-grade), to serious changes (high-grade), and finally to invasive cancer. When high-grade dysplasia is detected, cancer often is already present. Cancer can spread from the esophagus to nearby lymph nodes and to other parts of your body.
Barrett's esophagus is a premalignant lesion that may lead to the development of cancer of the esophagus in some patients. The overall risk of developing cancer is approximately 1% each year. As such, the majority of patients with Barrett’s esophagus will never develop cancer.
Cancer in Barrett's esophagus develops through a sequence of changes in the esophagus known as dysplasia. Dysplasia can only be detected by endoscopic biopsies. As such, all patients with Barrett’s esophagus should be placed in a surveillance program in an effort to detect cancer at an early and potentially curable stage. |
