Esophageal Adenocarcinoma: An Overview

The prevalence of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) has been increasing over the last several decades, with minimal improvements in mortality rates related to this cancer (Cook et al., 2021; Wani et al., 2020).

To reduce mortality from EAC, screening and surveillance of Barrett’s esophagus (BE) is recommended as BE is the only identifiable premalignant condition for EAC (American Gastroenterological Association, 2011; Kothari et al., 2019; Shaheen et al., 2016).

Identification of postendoscopy esophageal adenocarcinoma (PEEC) for those with Barrett’s esophagus (BE) offers an opportunity to improve the survival of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) (Sawas et al., 2022).

Current research indicates that approximately a quarter of all EACs are identified within a year after a negative upper endoscopy in patients with newly diagnosed BE. Methods to improve detection may reduce PEEC/PEEN rates (Wani et al., 2023).

Current research demonstrates the need to standardize the terminology, identification, analysis, reporting, and reduction of PEEC in clinical practice (Sawas et al., 2022).

To learn more about EAC, check out the references cited in this blog post.