Barrett’s Esophagus: Can You Develop Cancer?
The esophagus is the hollow, muscular tube that moves food and liquid from your mouth to your stomach. A ring of muscle fibers at the bottom of the esophagus keeps the stomach contents from moving backward.
Barrett’s esophagus means that some cells in the lining of your food pipe have started to change. In a small number of people, these cells may develop into esophageal cancer over a long period of time.
What is Barrett’s esophagus?
The cells lining the food pipe are normally flat. They’re called squamous cells. In Barrett’s esophagus, they change into a type more like the columnar (column-shaped) cells in the lining of the small and large bowel.
The cells may grow abnormally–a phenomenon called dysplasia. The dysplasia can be low grade or high grade. The grade means how abnormal the cells look under a microscope. The more abnormal they look, the higher the grade.
Risks and causes
Barrett’s esophagus is more common in men than women. And it is also more common in older people. Other risk factors include:
- having a history of acid reflux symptoms
- being overweight and your fat being mainly around your waist (abdominal obesity)
Barrett’s esophagus symptoms
Many people with Barrett’s esophagus don’t have any symptoms. Doctors may find the changes in the cells when you have tests for something else.
Long term indigestion and heartburn is the most common symptom. Many people have indigestion and heartburn and it doesn’t usually mean anything is wrong. But see your GP to get checked if you have indigestion on most days for 3 weeks or more or if it is getting worse.
Other symptoms to watch for include:
- Heartburn that worsens or wakes you from sleep
- Painful or difficult swallowing
- Sensation of food stuck in your esophagus
- Constant sore throat, sour taste in your mouth or bad breath
- Unintentional weight loss
- Blood in stool
- Vomiting
What is the risk of developing esophageal cancer?
Barrett’s esophagus can increase your risk of cancer of the esophagus, although the risk is still small. Many people with Barrett’s esophagus do not develop cancer.
Between 3-13% of people with Barrett’s esophagus in the UK will develop esophageal adenocarcinoma in their lifetime. And each year, less than 1% of people with Barrett’s develop esophageal adenocarcinoma. If you have more severe cell changes (high-grade dysplasia), your risk of developing esophageal cancer is higher.
Barrett’s esophagus cancer symptoms
Barrett’s esophagus cancer symptoms and signs include:
- difficulty swallowing (dysphagia)
- weight loss without trying
- chest pain, pressure or burning
- worsening indigestion or heartburn
- coughing or hoarseness
Early esophageal cancer typically causes no signs or symptoms.
Tests
Your doctor will send you for an endoscopy if they think you might have Barrett’s esophagus. This test looks inside your food pipe to find any changes. It uses a long flexible tube with a light on the end.
Barrett’s esophagus stages are:
- non-dysplastic (no cancerous tissue present)
- low-grade dysplasia (minor cell changes found)
- high-grade dysplasia (extensive cell changes found, but not yet cancer)
- noninvasive cancer
- invasive cancer
Barrett’s esophagus treatment
Some treatments aim to control symptoms and reduce the risk of the abnormal cells developing into cancer. They lower the amount of acid the stomach produces. Following any Barrett’s esophagus diet prescribed by the doctor is very important. Other treatments remove or treat the damaged areas in the lining of the food pipe. Find out what types of treatments there are and how far the medicine has gone.
