Barrett's Esophagus News and Research

Latest Barrett's Esophagus News and Research

Studies highlight race- and gender-specific disparities in gastrointestinal disease

Three studies presented this week at the American College of Gastroenterology's 74th Annual Scientific meeting in San Diego underscore the growing disparities in gastrointestinal disease, particularly colon cancer and Barrett's Esophagus, among certain ethnic and gender populations, including African Americans, Latinos and women. These race- and gender-specific disparities underscore the need for education and vigilance among these populations and perhaps more aggressive screening tactics than the population in general.

27 Oct 2009

BMC surgeons use new EsophyX TIF for treatment of acid reflux or GERD

Boston Medical Center (BMC) surgeons are now offering patients an incisionless alternative to laparoscopic and traditional surgery for treatment of acid reflux or GERD.

27 Oct 2009

Barrett's esophagus patients are at no greater risk of dying than the rest of the population

New Mayo Clinic research has found that survival rates of patients with Barrett's esophagus, (http://www.mayoclinic.org/barretts-esophagus/) which can be a precursor for esophageal cancer, are no different than the survival rates for the general population. These findings were presented today at the 2009 American College of Gastroenterology (http://www.acg.gi.org/) (ACG) Annual Meeting in San Diego.

27 Oct 2009

Spectrascience receives Japanese patent for its Optical Biopsy Forceps System and Method of Sampling Tissue

SpectraScience, Inc., a San Diego based medical device company, today announced that it has been awarded Japanese Patent number 4361683 for its Optical Biopsy Forceps System and Method of Sampling Tissue.

8 Oct 2009

FDA provides PMA approval for Spectrascience's WavSTAT technology enhancements

SpectraScience, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: SCIE), a San Diego based medical device company, today announced that its application for premarket approval (PMA) relating to key enhancements of its WavSTAT platform technology has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The Company can now begin commercial distribution of the enhanced WavSTAT technology.

17 Sep 2009

Less-invasive, organ-sparing endoscopic therapy for treating early stages of esophageal cancer

Researchers have found that early stage cancers of the esophagus can be treated as effectively by less-invasive, organ-sparing endoscopic therapy as compared to more complex surgical removal of the esophagus, according to a Mayo Clinic study published in the September 2009 issue of Gastroenterology.

2 Sep 2009

Nighttime acid reflux symptoms impair sleep quality

There has been much debate about the relationship between gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and sleep. Three new studies in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology explore GERD's effect on sleep quality and the health-care system as well as how a widely prescribed sleeping pill may mask the disease.

1 Sep 2009

Radiofrequency ablation reverses Barrett's esophagus

Patients who have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) for a prolonged period have an increased risk of developing Barrett's esophagus, a pre-cancerous condition where the tissue lining the esophagus becomes damaged by stomach acid and transformed into something like the inside of the stomach. New research finds that radiofrequency ablation -- an endoscopic procedure involving targeted thermal energy -- was very successful at restoring the esophagus and reducing risk for cancer.

2 Jun 2009

Radiofrequency ablation eradicates problems in most patients with Barrett's esophagus

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.

27 May 2009

OncoGel: New system for delivering chemotherapy for patients with esophageal cancer

Gastroenterologists at Rush University Medical Center are studying the safety and efficacy of a new system for delivering chemotherapy for patients with esophageal cancer, a rare, but deadly disease that attacks the throat.

15 Apr 2009

URMC to trial minimally invasive device that 'reins in' acid reflux

The University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) is one of 15 specialized sites across the U.S. and Europe gearing up to trial a new implantable device that could bring relief to the estimated 25 million American adults who suffer from daily heartburn.

4 Apr 2009

Drinking one glass of wine a day may lower risk of Barrett's esophagus

Drinking one glass of wine a day may lower the risk of Barrett's Esophagus by 56 percent, according to a new study by the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in the March issue of Gastroenterology.

2 Mar 2009

Drinking wine may lower risk of Barrett's esophagus

2 Mar 2009

Magnetic device studied as treatment for heartburn and acid reflux

More than 20 million Americans suffer from gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), experienced by many as chronic heartburn.

23 Feb 2009

New technology rapidly detects tumor response to chemotherapy

New technology developed by Duke University bioengineers can help clinicians more precisely detect whether specific cancer drugs are working, and should give basic researchers a powerful new tool to better understand the underlying mechanisms of cancer development.

2 Feb 2009

SpectraScience awarded U.S. patent for methods and apparatus for evaluating image focus

SpectraScience, Inc. has announced that it has been awarded U.S. Patent number 7,469,160 for its methods and apparatus for evaluating image focus.

6 Jan 2009

Newly discovered esophagus stem cells grow into transplantable tissue

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have discovered stem cells in the esophagus of mice that were able to grow into tissue-like structures and when placed into immune-deficient mice were able to form parts of an esophagus lining.

15 Dec 2008

Difluoromethylornithine may affect Barrett's esophagus

"While there was a suggestion that difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) may influence the extent of Barrett's dysplasia, this finding is very preliminary and further study of this agent in a larger number of patients is needed," said Frank A. Sinicrope, M.D., professor of medicine and oncology at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN.

16 Nov 2008

Discovery of biomarkers for esophageal cancer before it develops

Rhode Island Hospital researchers have identified genetic proteins, also known as biomarkers, capable of distinguishing changes at the microscopic level that can signal a precancerous condition in the esophagus.

4 Nov 2008

Obesity raises risks of serious gastrointestinal diseases

The prevalence of obesity and overweight in the United States coupled by the increased risk of gastrointestinal diseases related to obesity raises serious implications for the health of Americans. Several scientific studies in the August issue of The American Journal of Gastroenterology examine the association between obesity and the risk of colorectal cancer and gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD.

19 Aug 2008