Loading...
Barrett esophagus (BE) has been associated with colorectal cancer (CRC; Lancet 1985; 1:946), but the degree of this association is uncertain. To examine this issue further, investigators in the Netherlands conducted a population-based study involving a cohort of 42,207 patients (91% aged ≥40) with a first diagnosis of BE. The findings during a mean follow-up of 5.6 years were as follows:
713 patients in the cohort (1.7%) were diagnosed with CRC.
All CRCs occurred in patients older than 40.
96% of CRCs occurred in patients older than 50.
Compared to the general Dutch population older than 40:
Risk for CRC was higher in BE patients (relative risk, 1.70; 95% CI, 1.58–1.83).
Highest risk was found during the first year after BE diagnosis (RR, 4.76; 9…