What percent of people with Barretts esophagus get cancer?
Most patients who have Barrett’s esophagus live out their lives without developing cancer and die of other causes. The risk of developing cancer (esophageal adenocarcinoma) in Barrett’s esophagus is low, estimated to be between 5-10% and most patients who have Barrett’s esophagus do not die from esophageal cancer. However, patients with Barrett’s esophagus have more than a 40-fold increase in cancer risk as compared to the general population and that is why periodic upper endoscopy with biopsy (endoscopic biopsy surveillance) to check for cancer is recommended.
