will effective treatment prevent the risk of progression to esophageal adenocarcinoma?
Barrett esophagus is a complication of long-standing gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and is the well-recognized premalignant condition for the majority of esophageal and gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinomas. Although duration of gastroesophageal reflux (GER), male sex, and, possibly, a strong family history are directly related to risk of Barrett esophagus, the role of screening in those with GERD and surveillance in those with confirmed Barrett syndrome remains controversial. Acid suppression with proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy plays a pivotal role in the management of symptoms in persons with chronic GER and Barrett esophagus. Although there is no conclusive evidence for the role of PPIs in regression of Barrett epithelium or prevention of dysplasia, longer-term studies that titrate the dose to normalization of esophageal pH may proffer different data in the future. Although highly touted in the literature, surgical and endoscopic ablation therapies are limited by se
