Esophageal adenocarcinoma arising from Barrett's epithelium in Taiwan

J Formos Med Assoc. 2007 Aug;106(8):664-8. doi: 10.1016/S0929-6646(08)60024-8.

Abstract

The prevalence of Barrett's esophagus (BE) in Eastern countries is rising to match the prevalence in the West. However, a corresponding trend of BE-associated adenocarcinoma has yet to be observed in Asia. Historically, adenocarcinoma complicating BE has been considered a rare event in Taiwan. In the present report, we collected three Taiwanese cases of esophageal adenocarcinoma arising from BE. The first case was a 37-year-old man with an advanced cancer that developed on pre-existing BE after a 3-year interval without endoscopic surveillance. The second case was a 63-year-old man who presented with odynophagia and was found to have an ulcerative tumor centered on the characteristic Barrett's mucosa. The final case was a 44-year-old man who presented with gradual-onset dysphagia and weight loss, without typical reflux symptom. Our report emphasizes the need for an updated epidemiologic study to determine the incidence of BE-associated adenocarcinoma in Taiwan.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adenocarcinoma / complications
  • Adenocarcinoma / pathology*
  • Adult
  • Barrett Esophagus / complications
  • Barrett Esophagus / pathology*
  • Esophageal Neoplasms / complications
  • Esophageal Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Taiwan