Esophageal cancer survival rates greatly decline when the cancer has reached its late stages, so detecting neoplasia in a Barrett's esophagus patient early is a crucial tool in cancer management. What are some emerging endoscopic techniques that can be used for a Barrett's esophageal patient? Dr. Prateek Sharma, professor of medicine in the division of gastroenterology and hepatology at the University of Kansas School of Medicine, discusses the best ways to manage esophageal cancer and Barrett's esophagus patients with host Dr. Mark DeLegge.
Transcript Excerpt
DR. MARK DELEGGE:
If you are just tuning in, you are listening to GI Insights on ReachMD, The Channel for Medical Professionals. I am your host, Dr. Mark Delegge and joining me today to discuss managing esophageal cancer from the outset “is endoscopic therapy finally here” is Dr. Prateek Sharma, Professor of Medicine in to Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the University of Kansas school of medicine in beautiful Kansas City.
Well, Prateek lets move right on to therapy here. If we find or if we see some one who has Barrett’s esophagus and we get a biopsy back that says high-grade dysplasia or perhaps early adenocarcinoma what do we do?
DR. PRATEEK SHARMA:
Mark, I can tell you what happens at our institution and how we approach these patients because we do get referrals exactly of patient’s that you just mentioned, I mean we will start off first by standard white light endoscopy that we will do at our unit and we will do the examination that I just mentioned with a standard high resolution high-definition white light endoscope, we will locate where the gastroesophageal junction is, we will grade the Barrett’s segment using the Prague criteria and for, you know, those of I think the majority of our listeners are but those of them who are not aware of these Prague criteria, these are criteria, which measure the circumferential and the maximal extent of Barrett’s esophagus....read more