Posted: Dec 4, 2012 7:00 AM by By Carina Storrs TUESDAY, Dec. 4
(HealthDay News) -- Heartburn can usually be diagnosed and
managed without the use of an invasive procedure called an upper
endoscopy, according to new recommendations for doctors. Many
physicians perform upper endoscopies to screen people who have
had long-term heartburn for cancer of the esophagus because
heartburn, also known as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD),
can raise the risk of this cancer. Upper endoscopy involves
placing a long, flexible tube down the throat that takes
pictures of the esophagus, stomach and other parts of the
gastrointestinal tract. The new guidelines by the American
College of Physicians (ACP) recommend against screening the
general population with GERD this way, partly because the cancer
is rare even in this at-risk group. "It's an area of uncertainty
if screening prevents death from cancer," said guidelines author
Dr. Nicholas Shaheen, director of the Center for Esophageal
Diseases and Swallowing at the Univer