Clinical outcomes in patients with a diagnosis of "indefinite for dysplasia" in Barrett's esophagus: a multicenter cohort study.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIM: Data are limited on the natural history of patients with Barrett's esophagus with a diagnosis of "indefinite for dysplasia" (IND). The aims of this study were to: (i) determine rates of progression to high grade dysplasia (HGD) or esophageal adenocarcinoma, and compare these with rates for low grade dysplasia (LGD); and (ii) determine the proportion of patients whose histological IND diagnosis changed on follow-up endoscopy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Demographic, endoscopic, and histologic information of patients with diagnoses of IND and LGD and at least 12 months of follow-up were extracted from the database of a multicenter Barrett's esophagus study. Rates and times for progression to HGD and esophageal adenocarcinoma and regression to nondysplastic epithelium were calculated. Proportions of diagnoses upgraded to HGD/esophageal adenocarcinoma or downgraded to nondysplastic epithelium at first follow-up endoscopy were evaluated. RESULTS: Amongst 2264 patients, 83 with a diagnosis of IND (mean age 60 years, 95 % men, 95 % white; mean follow-up 5.6 years) and 79 with diagnosis of LGD were identified. In the IND group, annual incidences of esophageal adenocarcinoma and HGD were 0.21 % and 0.64 %, respectively, representing a combined incidence of 0.8 %. Mean time to progression was 4.72 years. Within the IND group 55 % patients showed regression to nondysplastic epithelium at first follow-up endoscopy and the overall regression rate was 80 %. Corresponding rates in LGD patients were similar. CONCLUSIONS: Lesions diagnosed as IND and LGD show similar biological behavior and can be treated as a single category with respect to surveillance and follow-up.

Persistence of nondysplastic Barrett's esophagus identifies patients at lower risk for esophageal adenocarcinoma: results from a large multicenter cohort.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Recent population-based studies have shown a low risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) in patients with nondysplastic Barrett's esophagus (NDBE). We evaluated whether persistence of NDBE over multiple consecutive surveillance endoscopic examinations could be used in risk stratification of patients with Barrett's esophagus (BE). METHODS: We performed a multicenter outcomes study of a large cohort of patients with BE. Based on the number of consecutive surveillance endoscopies showing NDBE, we identified 5 groups of patients. Patients in group 1 were found to have NDBE at their first esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD). Patients in group 2 were found to have NDBE on their first 2 consecutive EGDs. Similarly, patients in groups 3, 4, and 5 were found to have NDBE on 3, 4, and 5 consecutive surveillance EGDs. A logistic regression model was built to determine whether persistence of NDBE independently protected against development of cancer. RESULTS: Of a total of 3515 patients with BE, 1401 patients met the inclusion criteria (93.3% white; 87.5% men; median age, 60 ±17 years). The median follow-up period was 5 ± 3.9 years (7846 patient-years). The annual risk of EAC in groups 1 to 5 was 0.32%, 0.27%, 0.16%, 0.2%, and 0.11%, respectively (P for trend = .03). After adjusting for age, sex, and length of BE, persistence of NDBE, based on multiple surveillance endoscopies, was associated with a gradually lower likelihood of progression to EAC. CONCLUSIONS: Persistence of NDBE over several endoscopic examinations identifies patients who are at low risk for development of EAC. These findings support lengthening surveillance intervals or discontinuing surveillance of patients with persistent NDBE.

Association between length of Barrett's esophagus and risk of high-grade dysplasia or adenocarcinoma in patients without dysplasia.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: It is not clear whether length of Barrett's esophagus (BE) is a risk factor for high-grade dysplasia (HGD) or esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) in patients with nondysplastic BE. We studied the risk of progression to HGD or EAC in patients with nondysplastic BE, based on segment length. METHODS: We analyzed data from a large cohort of patients participating in the BE Study-a multicenter outcomes project comprising 5 US tertiary care referral centers. Histologic changes were graded as low-grade dysplasia, HGD, or EAC. The study included patients with BE of documented length without dysplasia and at least 1 year of follow-up evaluation (n = 1175; 88% male), and excluded patients who developed HGD or EAC within 1 year of their BE diagnosis. The mean follow-up period was 5.5 y (6463 patient-years). The annual risk of HGD and EAC was plotted in 3-cm increments (≤3 cm, 4-6 cm, 7-9 cm, 10-12 cm, and ≥13 cm). We calculated the association between time to progression and length of BE. RESULTS: The mean BE length was 3.6 cm; 44 patients developed HGD or EAC, with an annual incidence rate of 0.67%/y. Compared with nonprogressors, patients who developed HGD or EAC had longer BE segments (6.1 vs 3.5 cm; P < .001). Logistic regression analysis showed a 28% increase in risk of HGD or EAC for every 1-cm increase in BE length (P = .01). Patients with BE segment lengths of 3 cm or shorter took longer to develop HGD or EAC than those with lengths longer than 4 cm (6 vs 4 y; P = nonsignificant). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with BE without dysplasia, length of BE was associated with progression to HGD or EAC. The results support the development of a risk stratification scheme for these patients based on length of BE segment.

Practice patterns among U.S. gastroenterologists regarding endoscopic management of Barrett's esophagus.

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic management of Barrett's esophagus (BE) has evolved over the past decade; however, the practice patterns for managing BE among gastroenterologists remain unclear. OBJECTIVE: To assess practice patterns for management of BE among gastroenterologists working in various practice settings. DESIGN: A random questionnaire-based survey of practicing gastroenterologists in the United States. The questionnaire contained a total of 10 questions pertaining to practice setting, physician demographics, and strategies used for managing BE. SETTING: Survey of gastroenterologists working in various practice settings. INTERVENTION: Questionnaire. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Practice patterns for endoscopic imaging and management of BE. RESULTS: The response rate was 45% (236/530). The majority (85%) were gastroenterologists in community practice, 72% were aged 41 to 60 years, 80% had >10 years of experience, and 81% had attended postgraduate courses and/or seminars on BE management. A total of 78% did not use the Prague C & M classification, and about a third used advanced endoscopic imaging routinely (37%) or in selected cases (31%). For nondysplastic BE, 86% practiced surveillance, 12% performed ablation, and 3% did no intervention. For BE with low-grade dysplasia, 56% practiced surveillance, 26% performed endoscopic ablation in all low-grade dysplasia cases, and 18% performed endoscopic ablation in only selected patients with low-grade dysplasia. The majority of respondents (58%) referred their patients with high-grade dysplasia to centers with BE expertise, 13% performed endoscopic ablation in all patients with high-grade dysplasia, 25% performed endoscopic ablation in selected cases only, and 3% referred these patients for surgery. The most frequently used endoscopic eradication therapy was radiofrequency ablation (39%) followed by EMR (17%). LIMITATIONS: The sample may be unrepresentative, participation in the study was voluntary, and responses may be skewed toward following the guidelines. CONCLUSION: Results from this survey show that the majority of practicing gastroenterologists in the United States practice surveillance endoscopy in patients with nondysplastic BE and provide endoscopic therapy for those with high-grade dysplasia. The Prague C & M classification and advanced imaging techniques are used by less than a third of gastroenterologists. Practice patterns did not appear to be affected by respondent age or duration of clinical practice.

Prevalence and predictors of columnar lined esophagus in gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) patients undergoing upper endoscopy.

OBJECTIVES: Chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a risk factor for Barrett's esophagus (BE), the most important surrogate marker for the development of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). The need to document the presence of intestinal metaplasia in esophageal biopsies from a columnar lined esophagus (CLE) to diagnose BE is debated. The objective of this study was to prospectively evaluate the prevalence and risk factors of CLE in a large cohort of GERD patients undergoing upper endoscopy. METHODS: Consecutive patients presenting to the endoscopy unit at a tertiary referral center for their index upper endoscopy for evaluation of GERD symptoms were enrolled in this prospective cohort study. Patients were asked to complete a validated GERD questionnaire that documents the onset of GERD symptoms (heartburn and acid regurgitation) and grades the frequency and severity of symptoms experienced over the past year. Demographic information, body mass index, and use of aspirin/nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs were recorded. Endoscopic details including length of CLE, presence and size of hiatal hernia were noted. Patients with CLE (cases) were compared with those without CLE (controls) using Fischer's exact test and t-test. All factors that were statistically significant (P<0.05) were then entered into stepwise logistic regression to evaluate for independent predictors of CLE. RESULTS: A total of 1058 patients with GERD symptoms were prospectively enrolled. On index endoscopy, the prevalence of CLE was 23.3%, whereas of CLE with documented intestinal metaplasia was 14.1%. On univariate analysis, male gender, Caucasian race, heartburn duration of >5 years, presence and size of hiatal hernia were significantly associated with the presence of CLE compared with controls (P<0.05). On multivariate analysis, heartburn duration >5 years (odds ratio (OR): 1.50, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.07-2.09, P=0.01), Caucasian race (OR: 2.40, 95% CI: 1.42-4.03, P=0.001), and hiatal hernia (OR: 2.07, 95% CI: 1.50-2.87, P<0.01) were found to be independent predictors for CLE. CLE length was significantly associated with the presence of intestinal metaplasia (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: If BE is defined by the presence of CLE alone on upper endoscopy, up to 25% of GERD patients are diagnosed with this lesion. Enrolling all these patients in surveillance programs would have significant ramifications on health-care resources.

Cigarette smoking is a modifiable risk factor for Barrett's oesophagus.

BACKGROUND: Cigarette smoking has been associated with an increased risk of oesophageal adenocarcinoma (OAC). However, the impact of smoking and more importantly smoking cessation on Barrett's oesophagus (BO) is unclear. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study is to evaluate the association between cigarette smoking and presence of BO in a large prospective cohort of patients with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD). METHODS: Patients presenting to the endoscopy unit for upper endoscopy completed a validated GORD questionnaire and information on demographics (age, gender, and ethnicity), cigarette smoking [status (current/past), amount (pack years) and duration of smoking cessation], clinical data [medication history, body mass index (BMI), and family history] and endoscopic findings [BO and hiatal hernia] were recorded. Cigarette smokers (current and past) and nonsmokers were compared using Fisher's Exact test for categorical variables and Mann-Whitney test for continuous variables. Effects of cigarette smoking and smoking cessation on BO risk was assessed by stepwise logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: A total of 1056 patients were included in the analysis [mean age: 57.2 ± 12.7years, Caucasian 880 (83.3%), male 985 (93.3%), and mean BMI 29.6 (SD: ± 5.6)]. 827 (78.3%) were smokers and 229 (21.6%) were nonsmokers. 474 subjects (44.9%) had a previous history of smoking. Anytime smokers were more likely to have BO (adjusted OR: 3.3; 95 CI: 1.7-6.3; p < 0.01). Higher smoking burden (pack years) was associated with higher risk of BO in this GORD cohort (p for trend < 0.01). Duration of smoking cessation was inversely associated with risk of BO (p for trend: 0.01). CONCLUSION: This study shows that smokers with reflux symptoms have about threefold higher risk of BO compared with nonsmokers, whereas discontinuing smoking is associated with a significant reduced risk. Smoking cessation appears to be a viable option to reduce BO risk in patients with reflux disease.