Barrett’s Esophagus Patients’ Risk of Esophageal Cancer, Reduced by Aspirin and Other NSAIDs

The most-aggressive form of Barrett’s esophagus is a precancerous condition that can lead to esophageal cancer.

The researchers also identified a cluster of four known cancer biomarkers, or genetic abnormalities, in people with Barrett’s that significantly increases their risk of developing esophageal cancer.

The risk of developing esophageal cancer in this patient population is significantly reduced by therapy with aspirin, ibuprofen and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

The researchers found that those with three or more of the cancer biomarkers upon enrollment in the study who also used aspirin or other NSAIDs had a 30 percent risk of esophageal cancer after 10 years, while those with the same biomarkers who did not use NSAIDs had a 79 percent risk of developing cancer within a decade of joining the study.

These findings have been identified by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center which will be published in the February 27 issue of PLoS Medicine.

The researchers hope that the biomarkers identified can one day be used in a clinical setting for identification of Barrett’s patients who are most likely to develop esophageal cancer and therefore benefit from aggressive cancer surveillance via endoscopy and chemoprevention with aspirin and other NSAIDs.

Find more details from the full report.