Cost-Effectiveness Analysis on Endoscopic Surveillance Among Western Patients With Barrett's Esophagus for Esophageal Adenocarcinoma Screening

Incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) has risen rapidly over the past decades in Western countries. As a premalignant lesion, Barrett''s esophagus (BE) is an established risk factor of EAC. This study estimated the impact of surveillance endoscopy for BE on population''s survival upon EAC by a whole-population cost-effectiveness analysis among modeled Western population.Possibilities and survival payoffs were retrieved through literature searching based on PubMed database. Patients with BE were classified as adequate surveillance (AS), inadequate surveillance (IAS), and no surveillance groups. Direct cost of endoscopy per person-year was estimated from diagnosis of BE to before diagnosis of EAC in the whole-population model, whereas the payoff was 2-year disease-specific survival rate of EAC.AS for patients with BE had lower cost-effectiveness ratio (CER) than that of IAS group, as well as lower incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (6116 €/% vs 118,347 €/%). Prolonging the surveillance years could decrease the yearly cost in whole population and also relevant CERs, despite increased total cost. Increasing the proportion of participants in AS group could improve the survival benefit. The maximal payoff was up to 2-year mortality reduction of 2.7 per 100,000 persons by spending extra €1,658,913 per 100,000 person-years.A longer endoscopic surveillance among BE subpopulation plan can reduce yearly budget. Attempt to increase the proportion of AS participants can induce decline in population mortality of EAC, despite extra but acceptable expenditure. However, regarding optimal cost-effectiveness, further studies are still required to identify a high-risk subpopulation out of BE patients for endoscopic surveillance.     

Varicoid Adenocarcinoma of the Esophagus: Case Report

Varicoid swellings resemble a varix, or an enlarged and convoluted vessel. Varicoid or superficial spreading carcinoma of the esophagus is a rare condition demonstrating an appearance similar to esophageal varices and as such can be misdiagnosed. In the majority of cases they tend to be squamous cell carcinomas. We present only the second reported case of a patient with varicoid adenocarcinoma of the esophagus. In the absence of chronic liver disease, we advocate that variceal lesions within the esophagus should be regarded with a high index of suspicion for possible varicoid esophageal cancer.     

The Cost of Surveillance for Adenocarcinoma Complicating Barrett''s Esophagus

A review of endoscopic records at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation over a 7-yr period yielded 72 cases of Barrett's esophagus. Ten patients had adenocarcinoma at the time of diagnosis of Barrett's esophagus (14%). Sixty-two were followed for a mean of 31 months (range 2-154 months). During this follow-up period, cancer developed in one patient, an incidence of one cancer per 166 patient yr and an annual incidence of 0.6%. Males predominated in the group with both Barrett's esophagus (55 of 72) and adenocarcinoma (10 of 11). Symptoms were similar in those with simple Barrett's esophagus and those complicated by cancer. Our findings on incidence of cancer in Barrett's was applied to a model surveillance program. The cost of yearly endoscopic surveillance is estimated to be +62,000 and 78 lost work days to discover one cancer during the follow-up period. An endoscopic surveillance program requiring every-other-year studies appears justified and would cost only half as much, annually.     

反流性食管炎、Barrett食管和食管腺癌的研究

背景:胃食管反流病(GERD)是一种常见疾病,包括非糜烂性反流病(NERD)、反流性食管炎(RE)和Barrett食管(BE),近年其发病率逐渐增高。目的:探讨RE、BE与各种因素的关系。方法:应用反流性疾病问卷筛选具有胃食管反流症状的患者,行胃镜检查检测RE、BE和食管腺癌的检出率,分析吸烟、饮酒、饮食、年龄、性别和民族与RE、BE的关系。结果:共纳入1834例具有胃食管反流症状的患者,其中RE患者234例(12.8%);BE患者213例(11.6%),包括特殊肠化生型BE 47例;食管腺癌5例(0.3%)。蒙古族RE、BE的检出率显著高于汉族和其他民族。饮酒者中RE和BE的比例明显升高。BE患者中-重度异型增生和食管腺癌的检出率升高。结论:蒙古族人群RE和BE的检出率较高,饮酒与食管反流致损伤的关系密切,BE为食管腺癌的癌前病变。     

Esophageal Adenocarcinoma Associated with Barrett's Esophagus: Long-term Management with Laser Ablation

We report the use of neodymium:yttrium-aluminumgarnet (Nd:YAG) laser ablation to treat high-grade dysplasia and intramucosal esophageal adenocarcinoma associated with Barrett's esophagus in a patient who refused surgery. Throughout laser therapy, the patient received omeprazole 40 mg/day. After 1¹/₂ yr, five laser treatments totaling 22,055 J given over a period of 13 months achieved squamous reepithelialization and absence of malignant transformation in the first area in which carcinoma was diagnosed. Squamous reepithelialization was maintained 1 yr later, confirming recent reports that photoahlation plus omeprazole can achieve regression of Barrett's esophagus. During the last year of follow-up, a second contiguous area discovered to contain carcinoma was treated three times by photoablation. with a total of 13,164 J; biopsy showed only low-grade dysplasia in this area after two laser treatments totaling 8,108 J. No complications were seen during or after any of the laser sessions, and the patient remained asymptomatic 2¹/₂ yr after the first photoablalion and 3 yr after presentation.     

Risk of Extraesophageal Malignancy in Patients with Adenocarcinoma Arising in Barrett's Esophagus

Objectives : It has been suggested that the presence of Barrett's mucosa is a marker for potential malignancy in other organs. Our objective was to study subjects with adenocarcinoma of the esophagus arising in Barrett's epithelium. Methods : We reviewed the medical records of patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma, with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, and with no esophageal pathology and recorded the occurrence of extrae-sophageal malignancies and the heavy use of tobacco and alcohol. Results : The prevalence of extraesophageal malignancies was not higher in patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma (15%) than in patients in either control group (14% each). Patients with either type of cancer of the esophagus had higher rates of tobacco and alcohol use than normal controls (tobacco: p = 0.02 and/7 < 0.01 for adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, respectively, vs. normal controls; alcohol:/; < 0.01 for each esophageal malignancy vs . normal controls). The rate of tobacco and alcohol use was higher in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma than in those with adenocarcinoma, but only the difference in alcohol consumption was statistically significant ( p < 0.01). Conclusion : Patients with adenocarcinoma of the esophagus are not at higher risk for development of extraesophageal malignancy. This observation applies to both those with and without underlying Barrett's epithelium. Alcohol and tobacco use appear to be related to the malignant transformation of esophageal epithelium.     

反流性食管炎、Barrett食管和食管腺癌中上皮钙粘蛋白的表达

目的：研究反流性食管炎（ＲＥ）,Ｂａｒｒｅｔｔ食管（ＢＥ）及食管腺癌（ＥＡＣａ）中上皮钙粘蛋白（Ｅ－ｃａｄｈｅｒｉｎ）的表达及其意义。方法：运用免疫组化法ＡＢＣ法检测了１３例ＲＥ,１７例ＢＥ,１１例ＥＡＣａ以及３０例正常食管粘膜（ＮＥ）中Ｅ－ｃａｄｈｅｒｉｎ的表达。结果：Ｅ－ｃａｄｈｅｒｉｎ在ＮＥ,ＲＥ,ＢＥ,ＥＡＣａ中表达呈逐渐降低趋势。