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Esophageal Cancer Risk Less Dire for Certain Patients: Study
Posted 12 Oct 2011 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 12 – The risk of developing deadly esophageal cancer for patients with a condition known as Barrett's esophagus is significant, but not as dire as once reported, a large new Danish study suggests. Analyzing records from Denmark's entire population of 5.4 million people, researchers determined that those with Barrett's esophagus – a disorder often brought on by chronic reflux – are about 11 times as likely as those without it to develop esophageal cancer, a substantial drop from the 30- or 40-factor increase reported in prior research. This particularly lethal form of cancer, which grew in prevalence in the United States six-fold between 1975 and 2001, occurs more often in older white men and has risk factors that include obesity and frequent heartburn. Patients with Barrett's esophagus, which sometimes produces abnormal cells, are typically monitored with frequent ... Read more
Related support groups: Barrett's Esophagus, Esophageal Carcinoma
Researchers Find 3 Genes Linked to Esophagus Disorders
Posted 26 Jul 2011 by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, July 26 – Mutations in three genes have been found to be more common among people with disorders of the esophagus, including esophageal cancer and Barrett esophagus (a complication of gastroesophageal reflux disease), a new study shows. The findings could help identify those at greater risk for these conditions and lead to improved treatments, researchers from the Cleveland Clinic said in the report published in the July 27 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. "Finding predisposition genes may improve premorbid risk assessment, genetic counseling and management," Dr. Charis Eng and colleagues wrote. The developments are significant because in the United States and Europe, cases of esophageal cancer have surged 350 percent over the past 40 years and Barrett esophagus (which is believed to precede the cancer) affects 10 percent of the population, the authors ... Read more
Related support groups: GERD, Barrett's Esophagus, Esophageal Carcinoma
Alzheimer's Drug Might Help Prevent Esophageal Cancer
Posted 12 Jan 2010 by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, Jan. 12 – An experimental Alzheimer's drug may help prevent esophageal cancer, a new study shows. The drug, DBZ, currently in clinical trials for treatment of Alzheimer's disease, is known to have side effects on the lining of the lower colon. The cells that line the colon are similar to those seen in Barrett's esophagus, a condition that can progress to esophageal cancer. Barrett's esophagus occurs when chronic heartburn damages the lining of the esophagus. Researchers at the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands found that DBZ halted the growth of Barrett's esophagus in rats and, in some cases, eliminated the damaged esophageal tissue. Though the findings suggest that DBZ could be an effective way to treat Barrett's esophagus and prevent esophageal cancer, the drug is still a long way from being tested in human clinical trials, the researchers said. The study is in the ... Read more
Related support groups: Barrett's Esophagus, Esophageal Carcinoma
Flushing From Alcohol a Risk Factor for Esophageal Cancer
Posted 24 Mar 2009 by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, March 24 – People who experience facial flushing when they drink alcohol are much more likely to develop alcohol-related esophageal cancer, say American and Japanese experts. Facial flushing, nausea and increased heart rate when drinking alcohol occurs in about a third of East Asians (Chinese, Japanese and Koreans), mainly due to an inherited deficiency in an enzyme called aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2). There is increasing evidence that people with this deficiency are at much higher risk for alcohol-related esophageal cancer (specifically squamous cell carcinoma) than people with fully active ALDH2, the experts wrote in an article in this week's issue of PLoS Medicine. However, many doctors and people with alcohol flushing response aren't aware of this increased risk. This lack of awareness is "unfortunate as esophageal cancer is one of the deadliest cancers worldwide, with ... Read more
Related support groups: Esophageal Carcinoma
Researchers Zero In on GI Cancers
Posted 14 Jan 2009 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 14 – New research may one day help physicians identify those patients with gastrointestinal cancers who are most likely to benefit from certain treatments. The discoveries, paving the way toward an era of personalized medicine, could save the U.S. health-care system millions while sparing patients the agony of receiving treatments that aren't going to help them. "These are a diverse group of tumors," said Dr. Jennifer C. Obel, an attending physician at NorthShore University Health System in Illinois, who moderated a Tuesday teleconference on the findings. "More than 270,000 people are diagnosed with GI [gastrointestinal] malignancies in the U.S. every year, and about 135,000 succumb to these illnesses on a yearly basis. How do we distinguish those patients most likely to benefit from treatment and screening than those who are not?" The findings come from four studies ... Read more
Related support groups: Colorectal Cancer, Pancreatic Cancer, Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor, Stomach Cancer, Hepatic Tumor, Esophageal Carcinoma, Biliary Tract and Hepatic Tumor
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