Ablation of Barrett's oesophagus: towards improved outcomes for oesophageal cancer?
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Date
2012-09
Authors
Mayne, George C B
Bright, Tim Flaxman
Hussey, Damian James
Watson, David Ian
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
John Wiley and Sons
Rights
© 2012 The Authors. ANZ Journal of Surgery © 2012 Royal Australasian College of Surgeons
Rights Holder
The Authors. ANZ Journal of Surgery. Royal Australian College of Surgeons
Abstract
Barrett's oesophagus is the major risk factor for oesophageal adenocarcinoma. The management of Barrett’s oesophagus entails treating reflux symptoms with acid-suppressing medication or surgery (fundoplication). However neither form of anti-reflux therapy produces predictable regression, or prevents cancer development. Patients with Barrett’s oesophagus usually undergo endoscopic surveillance which aims to identify dysplastic changes or cancer at its earliest stage, when treatment outcomes should be better. Alternative endoscopic interventions are now available and are suggested for the treatment of early cancer, and prevention of progression of Barrett’s oesophagus to cancer. Such treatments could minimize the risks associated with oesophagectomy. The current status of these interventions is reviewed.
Various endoscopic interventions have been described, but with long term outcomes uncertain, they remain somewhat controversial. Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of dysplastic Barrett’s oesophagus might reduce the risk of cancer progression, although cancer development has been reported after this treatment. Endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) allows a 1.5 to 2 cm diameter piece of oesophageal mucosa to be removed. This provides better pathology for diagnosis and staging, and if the lesion is confined to the mucosa and fully excised, EMR can be curative. The combination of EMR and RFA has been used for multifocal lesions, but long term outcomes are unknown. The new endoscopic interventions for Barrett’s oesophagus and early oesophageal cancer have potential to improve clinical outcomes, although evidence which confirms superiority over oesphagectomy is limited. Longer term outcome data and data from larger cohorts is required to confirm the appropriateness of these procedures
Description
This is the accepted version of the following article: Mayne, G. C., Bright, T., Hussey, D. J. and Watson, D. I. (2012), Ablation of Barrett's oesophagus: towards improved outcomes for oesophageal cancer?. ANZ Journal of Surgery, 82: 592–598, which has been published in final form at doi:10.1111/j.1445-2197.2012.06151.x
Keywords
Barrett's esophagus, Cancer, Treatment
Citation
Mayne, G. C., Bright, T., Hussey, D. J. and Watson, D. I. (2012), Ablation of Barrett's oesophagus: towards improved outcomes for oesophageal cancer?. ANZ Journal of Surgery, 82: 592–598