Diabetes in relation to Barrett's esophagus and adenocarcinomas of the esophagus: A pooled study from the International Barrett's and Esophageal Adenocarcinoma Consortium

Risk Factors for the Development of Barrett's Esophagus and Esophageal Adenocarcinoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

Barrett's esophagus (BE) is the most widely established precursor to esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). Despite current screening guidelines, more than 90% of EAC patients lack a previous diagnosis of BE. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify the most important risk factors for the development of BE or EAC.

RECENT FINDINGS

PubMed.gov, Ovid Medline, Embase, and Cochrane Library were searched through March 15, 2024. Studies comparing characteristics of patients with endoscopically diagnosed BE or EAC to control groups satisfied our inclusion criteria. Dual extraction provided data for random-effects meta-analyses. Sufficient data were extracted from 54 included studies to perform our meta-analyses. There were five risk factors with significant associations for the development of BE: symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux at least once weekly (OR, 3.56; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.03-6.25; p = 0.004) tobacco smoking (OR, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.30-1.51; p < 0.001); alcohol use (OR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.10-1.71; p = 0.008); male gender (OR, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.19-1.57; p < 0.001); and obesity (BMI > 30 kg/m2) (OR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.09-1.39; p = 0.003). Tobacco smoking was significantly associated with the diagnosis of EAC (OR, 2.15; 95% CI, 1.85-2.43; p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Five risk factors showed significant associations with the development of BE and one with the development of EAC, with over a three-fold increase in BE for patients with gastroesophageal reflux more than once weekly. These data could prove useful in developing diagnostic paradigms with higher emphasis on patients experiencing more frequent acid reflux.

Body mass index and esophageal and gastric cancer: A pooled analysis of 10 population-based cohort studies in Japan

The effect of body mass index (BMI) on esophageal and gastric carcinogenesis might be heterogeneous, depending on subtype or subsite. However, findings from prospective evaluations of BMI associated with these cancers among Asian populations have been inconsistent and limited, especially for esophageal adenocarcinoma and gastric cardia cancer. We performed a pooled analysis of 10 population-based cohort studies to examine this association in 394,247 Japanese individuals. We used Cox proportional hazards regression to estimate study-specific hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), then pooled these estimates to calculate summary HRs with a random effects model. During 5,750,107 person-years of follow-up, 1569 esophageal cancer (1038 squamous cell carcinoma and 86 adenocarcinoma) and 11,095 gastric (728 cardia and 5620 noncardia) cancer incident cases were identified. An inverse association was observed between BMI and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (HR per 5-kg/m2 increase 0.57, 95% CI 0.50-0.65), whereas a positive association was seen in gastric cardia cancer (HR 1.15, 95% CI 1.00-1.32). A nonsignificant and significant positive association for overweight or obese (BMI ≥25 kg/m2 ) relative to BMI <25 kg/m2 was observed with esophageal adenocarcinoma (HR 1.32, 95% CI 0.80-2.17) and gastric cardia cancer (HR 1.24, 95% CI 1.05-1.46), respectively. No clear association with BMI was found for gastric noncardia cancer. This prospective study-the largest in an Asian country-provides a comprehensive quantitative estimate of the association of BMI with upper gastrointestinal cancer and confirms the subtype- or subsite-specific carcinogenic impact of BMI in a Japanese population.

Limitations of Heartburn and Other Societies' Criteria in Barrett's Screening for Detecting De Novo Esophageal Adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Despite extensive Barrett's esophagus (BE) screening efforts, most patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) present de novo. It is unclear how much of this problem is the result of insensitivity or poor applications of current screening guidelines. We aimed to evaluate the sensitivity of guidelines by determining the proportion of prevalent EAC cases that meet the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) or the British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG) guidelines for BE screening and determine whether changes to criteria would enhance detection.

METHODS

A retrospective single-center cohort from the United States (n = 663) and a prospective multicenter cohort from the United Kingdom (n = 645) were collected and analyzed independently. Screening eligibility was determined as patients with chronic reflux and at least 2 or more risk factors as defined by the guidelines. We calculated the proportion of screening-eligible patients and then compared BE/EAC risk factors between screening-eligible and screening-ineligible patients using the chi-squared or Student t test as appropriate.

RESULTS

In the Mayo clinic cohort there were 54.9% EAC cases and in the UK cohort there were 38.9% EAC cases that were not identified by ACG or BSG screening criteria, respectively. Among patients who did not meet the screening criteria, lack of heartburn was observed in 86.5% in the Mayo clinic cohort and in 61.4% in the UK cohort. Other risk factors that were lacking included obesity (defined as a body mass index of ≥30 kg/m²) and family history of EAC. Eliminating chronic reflux from the ACG/BSG criteria improved eligibility for screening from 45.1% to 81.3% (P < .001) in the Mayo Clinic cohort and from 61.1% (n = 394) to 81.5% (n = 526; P < .001) in the UK cohort. However, reflux may be difficult to ascertain from the history, and by including proton pump inhibitor use status in addition to the BSG criteria, screening eligibility improved by 10.0% in the UK cohort (n = 459; P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

ACG/BSG BE screening guidelines have limited our ability to detect prevalent EAC. An optimized approach to identifying the individuals most suitable for EAC screening needs to be implemented, particularly one that does not rely on chronic reflux symptoms.

Risk factors for Barrett's esophagus: Recent advances

Esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) is the most common malignant tumor of the esophagus in the West. During the past few decades, its morbidity has been increasing in China. Barrett's esophagus (BE) is defined as the replacement of normal squamous epithelium in the lower esophagus by metaplasia of columnar epithelium. BE is closely related to the occurrence of EAC. Knowledge regarding the risk factors for the occurrence and development of BE is of great significance for early screening and diagnosis of BE and prevention of EAC. In this paper, we review the clinical, demographics-related, lifestyle-related, and medications-related risk factors for BE to provide more valuable scientific evidence for the prevention and treatment of BE.

Krebsrisiko bei Prädiabetes und Typ-2-Diabetes mellitus

Krebs ist nun die führende Todesursache bei Typ-2-Diabetes mellitus (T2D). Prädiabetes und T2D erhöhen das Risiko für bestimmte Tumoren. Zu den Prädiabetes- bzw. T2D-assoziierten Malignomen zählen gastrointestinale, gynäkologische, urologische und endokrine Karzinome aber auch Leukämien. Prädiabetes und T2D bedingen eine 1,2- bis 2,7-fach erhöhte Krebssterblichkeit. Zugrundeliegende Mechanismen der Assoziation zwischen T2D und Krebs beinhalten die chronische Hyperglykämie, einen chronischen systemischen Entzündungszustand, oxidativen Stress, Dyslipidämie, die Insulinresistenz sowie chronisch erhöhte Spiegel von insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) und von Insulin. Eine dauerhafte Gewichtsreduktion kann das Krebsrisiko adipöser T2D-Patienten signifikant senken. Ein gesunder Lebensstil und die regelmäßige Teilnahme an Vorsorgeuntersuchungen sind wichtig und können die Krebsmortalität von Diabetespatienten erheblich verringern.

Excess Body Weight and Gastrointestinal Cancer Risk

Background

Excess body weight (EBW), defined as a body mass index (BMI) ≥25 kg/m², has become the second most important as well as a potentially modifiable risk factor for cancer in many industrialized countries. The more excess weight people have, the higher the risk of certain cancers. Over the past several decades, EBW has been increasing globally not only among adults, but also among children and adolescents.

Summary

EBW is causally associated with colorectal, esophageal (adenocarcinoma), gastric (cardia), pancreatic, biliary and hepatocellular cancer. EBW when combined with tobacco smoking, risky alcohol use, or diabetes can act synergistically to cause gastrointestinal cancer. In recent years, more and more young adults (20-40 years old) were diagnosed with EBW-associated neoplasms. People with EBW should be encouraged to join cancer screening programs.

Key Messages

Keeping a healthy weight is a major public health concern and reduces the risk of cancer.

Population Attributable Risks of Subtypes of Esophageal and Gastric Cancers in the United States

INTRODUCTION

To help target preventive strategies, we estimated US population attributable risks (PARs) of demographic and potentially modifiable risk factors for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC), gastric cardia adenocarcinoma (GCA), and gastric noncardia adenocarcinoma (GNCA).

METHODS

We prospectively examined the associations for risk factors and these cancers in 490,605 people in the National Institutes of Health-the American Association of Retired Persons Diet and Health cohort Diet and Health Study cohort from 1995 to 2011. Exposures were obtained from the baseline questionnaire. Diagnoses of gastroesophageal reflux disease were extracted for a subset of eligible National Institutes of Health-the American Association of Retired Persons Diet and Health cohort subjects through linkage to Medicare and then multiply imputed for non-Medicare-eligible subjects. Hazard ratios were calculated using multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazards regression. Adjusted population attributable risks were calculated for the US population aged 50-71 years by combining the hazard ratios with the estimated joint distribution of risk factor prevalence from the 2015 National Health Interview Survey.

RESULTS

Smoking remained the most important risk factor for ESCC and was estimated to cause more than 1/3 of EAC and GCA and 1/10 of GNCA. Obesity and gastroesophageal reflux disease were associated with more than 1/2 of EAC and 1/3 of GCA. Compared with each lowest-risk level category, common risk factors were estimated to be associated with 73.7% of ESCC (95% confidence interval [CI]: 62.1%-85.4%), 70.3% of EAC (95% CI: 64.4%-76.2%), 69.3% of GCA (95% CI: 61.0%-77.7%), and 33.6% of GNCA (95% CI: 21.7%-45.5%).

DISCUSSION

These factors accounted for a large proportion of esophageal and gastric cancers in the United States, highlighting opportunities for education and intervention to reduce the burden of these highly fatal cancers.

Visceral Obesity, Metabolic Syndrome, and Esophageal Adenocarcinoma

Esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) represents an exemplar of obesity-associated carcinogenesis, with a progressive increase in EAC risk with increased body mass index. In this context, there is increased focus on visceral adipose tissue and associated metabolic dysfunction, including hypertension, diabetes mellitus and hyperlipidemia, or combinations of these in the metabolic syndrome. Visceral obesity (VO) may promote EAC via both directly impacting on gastro-esophageal reflux disease and Barrett's esophagus, as well as via reflux-independent effects, involving adipokines, growth factors, insulin resistance, and the microbiome. In this review these pathways are explored, including the impact of VO on the tumor microenvironment, and on cancer outcomes. The current evidence-based literature regarding the role of dietary, lifestyle, pharmacologic and surgical interventions to modulate the risk of EAC is explored.

Circulating Levels of Inflammatory and Metabolic Biomarkers and Risk of Esophageal Adenocarcinoma and Barrett Esophagus: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Associations between circulating levels of obesity-related biomarkers and risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma and Barrett esophagus have been reported, but the results are inconsistent. A literature search until October 2018 in MEDLINE and EMBASE was performed. Pooled ORs with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated for associations between 13 obesity-related inflammatory and metabolic biomarkers and risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma or Barrett esophagus using random effect meta-analyses. Among 7,641 studies, 19 were eligible for inclusion (12 cross-sectional, two nested case-control, and five cohort studies). Comparing the highest versus lowest categories of circulating biomarker levels, the pooled ORs were increased for leptin (OR, 1.68; 95% CI, 0.95-2.97 for Barrett esophagus), glucose (OR, 1.12; 95% CI, 1.03-1.22 for esophageal adenocarcinoma), insulin (OR, 1.47; 95% CI, 1.06-2.00 for Barrett esophagus), C-reactive protein (CRP; OR, 2.06; 95% CI, 1.28-3.31 for esophageal adenocarcinoma), IL6 (OR, 1.50; 95% CI, 1.03-2.19 for esophageal adenocarcinoma), and soluble TNF receptor 2 (sTNFR-2; OR, 3.16; 95% CI, 1.76-5.65 for esophageal adenocarcinoma). No associations were identified for adiponectin, ghrelin, insulin-like growth factor 1, insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 3, triglycerides, IL8, or TNFα. Higher circulating levels of leptin, glucose, insulin, CRP, IL6, and sTNFR-2 may be associated with an increased risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma or Barrett esophagus. More prospective studies are required to identify biomarkers that can help select high-risk individuals for targeted prevention and early detection.

Experimental Study of the Effect of Helicobacter pylori Infection on Barrett Esophagus and Its Correlation with Immune Function

Background: Helicobacter pylori is an important pathogen in the upper digestive tract. It is of great significance to properly understand the risk factors for the transformation of Barrett esophagus into esophageal carcinoma. However, the relationship between H. pylori and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and Barrett esophagus remains controversial, and the correlation with immune function has been rarely reported. Objectives: This study investigated the effect of H. pylori infection on Barrett esophagus and its correlation with immune function. Methods: We recruited 40 patients with Barrett esophagus (Barrett esophagus group) and 40 patients with GERD (GERD group). In addition, 40 healthy controls were selected for the control group. Esophageal function and its correlation with immune function were measured in each group. Results: The positivity rate of H. pylori (P < 0.05) and sphincter pressure were lower in both Barrett esophagus and GERD groups than in the control group, while the levels of PGI, PGII, PGI/II, and G-17 were higher (P < 0.05). The levels of CD3+, CD4+, and CD4+/CD8+ were lower in the Barrett esophagus group than in the GERD group, but they were negatively correlated (P < 0.05) with H. pylori infection. The level of CD8+ was higher in the Barrett esophagus group, and it was positively correlated (P < 0.05) with H. pylori infection. Conclusions: Helicobacter pylori infection may protect against Barrett esophagus by reducing gastric acid secretion and increasing lower esophageal sphincter pressure. Besides, it has a certain correlation with immune function.