Did you know that heartburn can lead to cancer?
Reflux can lead to a condition called Barrett's esophagus (BE) where the lining of the esophagus (your swallowing tube) can change its cellular make-up to withstand the acids coming up from your stomach. This cellular change— known as Barrett's esophagus—can increase your risk of developing esophageal cancer.
Did you know that heartburn can lead to cancer?
Reflux can lead to a condition called Barrett’s esophagus (BE) where the lining of the esophagus (your swallowing tube) can change its cellular make-up to withstand the acids coming up from your stomach. This cellular change—known as Barrett’s esophagus—can increase your risk of developing esophageal cancer.
Heartburn goes by a lot of names
The condition where stomach contents can move up the esophagus can be described through many labels: gastroesophageal reflux (GER), acid indigestion, acid reflux, or acid regurgitation.
If you experience chronic reflux, it is best to seek care from a healthcare provider. Regular, ongoing heartburn symptoms may lead to a diagnosis of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), which affects approximately 20 percent of people in the United States.
Barrett’s esophagus is a complication of GERD
With early onset or long-term GERD, the lining of the esophagus may change and become similar to the tissue lining of the stomach or intestines. This is called Barrett’s esophagus, or BE, and it happens in 10-15 percent of GERD cases.
Heartburn is not the only risk factor for developing Barrett’s esophagus. After the esophageal tissue changes to BE, the discomfort may subside because the new tissue is less sensitive to stomach acids. Other risk factors include: increased age, family history, male sex, Caucasian race, obesity, and a history of smoking.
BE can develop into dysplasia and cancer
BE is the only known precursor to esophageal adenocarcinoma, and on average 1 in 40 BE patients progress to cancer within five years. Given this elevated risk, BE patients typically receive frequent endoscopic surveillance to look for signs of abnormal cell growth (dysplasia), which is a sign you may be progressing towards cancer. If dysplasia is detected, your healthcare provider may choose to remove the Barrett’s tissue using a technique known as ablation.
For approximately 90% of Barrett’s esophagus patients, no abnormal cell growth is detected during endoscopic surveillance. In these cases, molecular testing with TissueCypher can be used to identify patients at high and low risk of progression to help the healthcare provider optimize treatment decisions.
BE is the only known precursor to esophageal adenocarcinoma, and on average 1 in 40 BE patients progress to cancer over five years. Given this elevated risk, BE patients typically receive frequent endoscopic surveillance to look for signs of abnormal cell growth (dysplasia), which is a sign you may be progressing towards cancer. If dysplasia is detected, your healthcare provider may choose to remove the Barrett’s tissue using a technique known as ablation.
For approximately 90% of Barrett’s esophagus patients, no abnormal cell growth is detected during endoscopic surveillance. In these cases, molecular testing with TissueCypher can be used to identify patients at high and low risk of progression to help the healthcare provider optimize treatment decisions.
What is the TissueCypher Barrett’s Esophagus test?
And how does it help?
TissueCypher is a precision medicine test that analyzes Barrett’s esophagus tissue collected during your upper GI endoscopy. The test uses advanced imaging technology and artificial intelligence to determine your personalized risk of progression to cancer. Your healthcare provider can order this test and use the results to tailor a care plan that is personalized to your risk of developing esophageal cancer.
