What Are the Treatments for Barretts Esophagus?
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The esophagus transports swallowed food and liquids to the stomach. Normally, it is lined with skin-like cells called squamous epithelial cells. With Barrett’s esophagus, the normal cells at the lower end of the esophagus near the stomach are replaced by abnormal columnar epithelial cells, which are also called Barrett’s cells. People with Barrett’s esophagus are monitored to watch for dysplasia–abnormal changes in the Barrett’s cells. A stepwise progression from low-grade to high-grade dysplasia can eventually lead to esophageal cancer. Cancerous transformation of Barrett’s esophagus is uncommon, occurring in less than 1 percent of people with the condition annually. People without dysplasia or with low-grade dysplasia do not usually require treatment but are monitored every one to three years to check for deleterious changes. Treatments for high-grade dysplasia eliminate the dysplastic Barrett’s cells, thereby preventing their transformation to cancer cells.
