Barrett's oesophagus is not a cancerous condition but occasionally it can lead to a cancer developing.
The oesophagus, or gullet, is the muscular tube that runs through the chest, joining the back of the throat and the stomach.
Reflux oesophagitis is a relatively common condition where the acid juices normally contained in the stomach splash into the lower end of the oesophagus. This irritates and inflames the oesophagus and causes symptoms of pain and heartburn. If the reflux oesophagitis continues for a period of time then about one five to one in ten people with the condition will develop changes in the lining of the lower part of their gullet. With this change the normal lining cells of the gullet show a more glandular appearance when they are examined under the microscope. When this happens it is known as Barrett's oesophagus.
Barrett's oesophagus is diagnosed by having an endoscopy and biopsy. The endoscopy involves passing a flexible tube down the throat, into the gullet. The tube has a camera on its tip allowing doctors to look at the wall of the gullet. They can also use the tube to take away small pieces of tissue from the lining of the gullet for examination under the microscope, this is called a biopsy.
A small number of people with Barrett's oesophagus (approximately 1 in 100 each year in the UK) will eventually develop a cancer, called an adenocarcinoma, of the lower part of the gullet. This is more likely if the irritation from the gastric juices continues after the condition is diagnosed. To help prevent cancer developing, treatment will be given to try and stop the gastric reflux and prevent or reduce the irritation to the gullet.
Treatment may involve medication or possibly an operation. It will also mean that regular endoscopies will be done, and regular biopsies taken, to make sure no cancerous change does develop in the gullet. If the biopsy shows that the cells look relatively normal than the risk of cancer is small and endoscopy need only be done infrequently. If the cells look less like the normal tissue (abnormal or dysplastic) then endoscopy will be recommended more frequently. If there is a lot of abnormal cells then the risk of cancer is higher and many doctors recommend surgery to remove the abnormal area of the oesophagus.