Nexium users with Barrett's Esophagus could benefit from cryotherapy

A recent clinical trial by researchers at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center found that cryotherapy could benefit those with Barrett's Esophagus (BE) due to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), many of whom use Nexium and other acid-supressing medications.

Barrett's Esophagus
People in mid- to late-adulthood are the most likely to get Barrett's Esophagus. BE can occur when the cells in the lower portion of the esophageal lining are damaged due to untreated GERD, acid reflux or heartburn. While the esophagus heals, the cells are sometimes replaced with cells similar to those from the intestinal lining, which can cause a rare form of cancer.

BE is diagnosed by visiting a gastroenterologist to have an endoscopy and biopsy, in which a pathologist examines the patient's esophageal tissue to determine the cellular makeup.

How can cryotherapy help?
Cryotherapy is the use of liquid nitrogen to freeze and thus remove cells. It's currently used for tumors, warts and other skin lesions. It is often preferred to surgery because it is less invasive and often an out patient procedure, meaning it is less expensive and time-consuming for patients.

In the latest clinical trials, published in the June 2013 edition of the Journal of Thoracic Disease at Walter Reed, researchers found that a new delivery device for cryotherapy - spray cryotherapy, or SCT - was able to safely treat many types of endobronchial diseases, including BE. Compared to other treatments, researchers found that SCT had less risks, including less esophageal damage, bleeding and scar tissue after the therapy was completed.

In a previous clinical trial at the National Naval Medical Center, published in the December 2005 edition of the journal Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, researchers found that cryoablation was an effective method in specifically treating BE. Though the trial involved only 11 patients with esophageal dysplasia, after being treated with cryotherapy, all of the patients had improved results and nine of the 11 patients had a complete reversal of BE. At their six-month follow up, there was no evidence of the disease. Additionally, there were no complications for any of the patients during the treatment.

How does cryotherapy work?
Cryotherapy is likely effective because it completely destroys the replaced defective cells, allowing for the esophagus to regenerate its own cells that are not influenced by the stomach acid to grow in a similar fashion to the intestinal lining.