Esophagoscopic monitoring of Barrett's esophagus--additional life years of good quality or wasting of limited resources?
Voutilainen, M.
Duodecim; laaketieteellinen aikakauskirja 126(5): 507-514
2010
ISSN/ISBN: 0012-7183 PMID: 20597303 Document Number: 646800
More than 90% of patients with cancers of the esophagus will succumb to these diseases. Adenocarcinoma of the esophagus has rapidly become more common in the western countries and its occurrence already exceeds that of squamous cell carcinoma in many countries. Monitoring of Barrett patients is recommended, since Barrett's esophagus is the most important risk factor for adenocarcinoma. Scientific evidence of the effectiveness of monitoring is, however, scarce. It would be more correct to speak about monitoring of adenocarcinoma instead of Barrett's esophagus, because the aim is reduction of cancer mortality by screening.