CRITICAL REVIEW: BARRETS OESOPHAGUS – METAPLASIA – DYSPLASIA – MALIGNANT TRANSFORMAYION PHENOTYPICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND PROGRESSION MARKERS

Oesophageal adenocarcinoma represents the 6th common cause of cancer related deaths. Frequently oesophageal adenocarcinomas are developed from Barret’s oesophagus, which represents the metaplastic lesion of the lower third of the oesophagus, when squamous epithelium is replaced by glandular epithelium. It has been shown, that Barret’s metaplasia bears the risk of progression into dysplasia and later into malignant disease. However, this risk is different in different patients. Nowadays, there are many ongoing studies investigating the molecular markers of the progression of Barret’s oesophagus, which on the other hand represents an important information for the proper clinical management of this lesion. We discuss the potential markers of Barret’s oesophagus progression and related problematic issues in presented critical review.