Poor adherence to proper Barrett's esophagus screening and surveillance guidelines in patients with newly diagnosed esophageal adenocarcinoma.

Abstract

Background: Screening for Barrett's esophagus (BE) remains controversial, even for high-risk populations. Our study aimed to evaluate the proportion of patients diagnosed with esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) who were not screened for BE or did not receive recommended BE surveillance screening. We then evaluated the relationship between cancer staging and screening/surveillance opportunities.

Methods: This single-center retrospective study included 187 patients from January 2016 to January 2022 with newly diagnosed EAC. Data extracted from patient charts included BE risk factors, and BE, endoscopic, and histologic history.

Results: A total of 187 patients had a new diagnosis of EAC. Among this group, 44% had appropriate BE surveillance adherence, and 47% of patients met the criteria for BE screening but had not been screened prior to EAC diagnosis. Adherence to BE surveillance was associated with earlier stages of cancer on biopsy. No significant difference in cancer staging was found in those with missed BE screening opportunities.

Discussion: Patients with a diagnosis of BE who adhered to surveillance guidelines had earlier stage EAC at diagnosis, which emphasizes the importance of surveillance. Most of those with an initial diagnosis of EAC had not received any BE screening.