Barrett's Oesophagus

Barrett's is diagnosed by endoscopy confirmed by histopathology of biopsies taken during the procedure.

Those diagnosed with Barrett's are recommended to remain on acid suppressant medication for life with surveillance scopes every 2 to 5 years to make sure the cells are showing no pre-cancerous changes (called dysplasia).

If Dysplasia is ever seen, the Barrett's cells can be removed (called ablation) to prevent them continuing to mutate to cancer.

Summary:

So a quick 101 on Barrett's:

It's the permanent addition of acid resistant cells to the lower oesophagus to protect it against acid refluxing from the stomach. It will not change or go away but there's a small chance the cells could mutate to cancer. Barrett's has no symptoms of its own. Any symptoms are from oesophagitis or reflux.

• Acidity or alkalinity of your diet doesn't change stomach acid. There is NO special diet to follow. (Down With Acid - Food)

• Acid doesn't cause reflux. (Down With Acid - Acid Drops)

• Acid suppressant medication (especially Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) like omeprazole/Prilosec) do reduce acid but not reflux - just making it less damaging. (Prevalence of Extra-Oesophageal Reflux symptoms amongst acid refluxers and perceived efficacy of regular medication and reflux reduction intervention)

• PPIs also reduce risk of Barrett's mutating to cancer. (Down With Acid - PPI dangers)

• Reflux is due to a malfunctioning Lower oEsophageal Sphincter that's supposed to keep the oesophagus tube pinched tight shut when food isn't being delivered to the stomach. This is most frequently due to a Hiatus Hernia. (Down With Acid - Reflux)

• Reflux needs to be managed by lifestyle modifications. (Down With Acid - Reflux remedies)

• If reflux cannot be managed normally and it is considerably impinging upon Quality of Life, surgical options are available.(Down With Acid - Reflux reduction)

More information on all this may be found in the Down With Acid encyclopaedia, fully researched and referenced.

Probably 1 in 20 of the population has Barrett's but the vast majority don't know it. They're the ones most at risk of not finding out until too late. Typically not discovered until stage T4 when prognosis may be just a few weeks.

Those of us who know we have Barrett's are the lucky ones.

Barrett's can be managed; Cancer can kill!