May 28, 2009 A procedure that uses heat generated by radio waves
to treat Barrett's esophagus, a condition caused by acid reflux
(severe heartburn), can eliminate signs of the potentially
cancer-causing disorder and reduce the risk that the disease
will progress. Findings from the first multicenter trial of the
procedure, called radiofrequency ablation, could mean patients
have an alternative to surgery for treating Barrett's esophagus.
The procedure uses a scope inserted through the mouth to destroy
the abnormal tissue. "Patients with Barrett's esophagus can go
on to develop esophageal cancer," says Steven A. Edmundowicz,
M.D., lead investigator at the study site at Washington
University School of Medicine in St. Louis. "Cancer of the
esophagus usually is deadly. Less than 15 percent of patients
with esophageal adenocarcinoma survive for five years, and in
those with advanced Barrett's esophagus, the risk that the
condition will advance to become cancer is about 6 percent per
year." In Barrett's esophagus, p