Any suspicious areas can then be examined through biopsy for signs of precancerous dysplasia or cancer itself. Early diagnosis is key, Dr. Chang notes. Early diagnosis of potentially precancerous dysplasia can allow us to prevent the cancer from ever starting. Most patients with severe dysplasia must undergo surgery for the removal of part of the esophagus to eliminate the Barrett s mucosa. This surgical procedure, called esophagectomy, is a major cutting operation requiring full anesthetic and long hospitalization.
Patients can suffer prolonged pain during recovery.
Afterwards, patients will have to make major lifestyle changes and may have to endure continuing medical problems. Esophagectomy also carries a relatively high mortality rate. In contrast, PDT can be considered an office procedure because it requires no cutting and only a local anesthetic. A minimally invasive procedure, PDT is also very cost effective and offers encouraging results to eliminate Barrett s tissue without lingering side effects. The drug is administered systemically, but it concentrates mainly in abnormal tissue, in this case, located in the esophagus.