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Ablative Therapies for Barrett’s Esophagus

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Abstract

Barrett’s esophagus has gained increased clinical attention because of its association with esophageal adenocarcinoma, a cancer with increasing incidence and poor survival rates. The goals of ablating Barrett’s esophagus are to decrease esophageal cancer rates and to improve overall survival and quality of life. Different techniques have been developed and tested for their effectiveness eradicating Barrett’s epithelium. This review assesses the literature associated with different ablative techniques. The safety and efficacy of different techniques are discussed. This review concludes with recommendations for the clinician, including specific strategies for patient care decisions for patients with Barrett’s esophagus with varying degrees of dysplasia.

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Disclosure

Conflicts of interest: K.S. Garman—grants, American College of Gastroenterology Junior Faculty Development Award, and the Emeline Brown Cancer Genomics Research Fund; N.J. Shaheen—consultancies, CSA Medical, AstraZeneca, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, NeoGenomics, and OncoScope, and grants, BARRX Medical, AstraZeneca, NeoGenomics, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, CSA Medical, and OncoScope.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Gastroenterology, Institute for Genome Science and Policy, Duke University, Box 3913 DUMC, Durham, NC, 27710, USA

    Katherine S. Garman

  2. Durham VA Medical Center, 508 Fulton St., Durham, NC, 27705, USA

    Katherine S. Garman

  3. Center for Esophageal Diseases and Swallowing, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, CB 7080, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599–7080, USA

    Nicholas J. Shaheen

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  1. Katherine S. Garman
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Correspondence to Katherine S. Garman.

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Garman, K.S., Shaheen, N.J. Ablative Therapies for Barrett’s Esophagus. Curr Gastroenterol Rep 13, 226–239 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11894-011-0182-z

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