Cure for Barrett's Esophagus

The esophagus is the part of the digestive system that connects the stomach to the throat. It has an inner lining (the mucosa) that consists of squamous cells. Sometimes, these cells change and become deformed; they are supposed to be flat and they become more square. The presence of these square or cube-like cells, which extend from the bottom of the esophagus near the stomach up to the throat, is called Barrett's Esophagus. If left untreated, in some instances these abnormal cells can lead to esophageal cancer.

Prevention

• The exact causes of Barrett's Esophagus are unknown, although it is speculated that damage to the esophagus caused by acid reflux or GERD may be responsible for causing Barrett's Esophagus. Thus, treating the underlying digestive condition with acid blockers or lifestyle change may be an important step in curing Barrett's Esophagus.

Symptoms

• Treatment and cure of Barrett's Esophagus is only possible after diagnosis. Often, a patient may be unaware that he has Barrett's Esophagus because the condition itself is often asymptomatic. However, patients with symptoms of acid reflux- including persistent heartburn, difficulty swallowing, sore throats, coughs or breathing problems, may also have Barrett's Esophagus.

Diagnosis

• Because of the asymptomatic nature of the illness, Barrett's Esophagus must be diagnosed by a doctor in order to be treated and cured. The most common method of diagnosis involves the use of an endoscope, passed through the mouth and down the esophagus, so the doctor can view the esophagus. The doctor can then identify Barrett's Esophogas by the red appearance of the damaged cells that contrast from the normal pale cells of the mucosa. The doctor can scrape a small piece of these reddened cells for a biopsy to make a conclusive diagnosis.

Treatment

• Routine Barrett's Esophagus is generally not treated as it does not cause significant problems for a patient. Patients may be given acid blockers to treat the underlying condition causing Barrett's Esophagus, but these medications are not a treatment for the abnormal mucosa cells and do not cure the abnormal cells. Generally, doctors have found no simple method of treating the damaged cells characteristic of Barrett's Esophagus, although some doctors are experimenting with destroying the abnormal cells in the hopes that normal squamous cells will grow back. According to the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, this treatment is promising and may ultimately lead to a cure for Barrett's Esophagus, but this is still under investigation as of July 2009 and awaits further clinical trials.

Dysplasia Treatment

• Although Barrett's Esophagus itself is not treated, Barrett's esophagus can cause a condition called dysplasia to occur. Dysplasia refers to pre-cancerous cells that may become esophageal cancer. Low grade dysplasia is not treated, but high grade displaysia is either monitored, treated with the destruction of the esophageal lining, combined with intense acid blocker or treated by removal of the esophagus. Removal of the esophagus is the most common form of treatment because high grade dysplasia develops into esophageal cancer in 50 percent of patients.