The only way to find out for sure if there's a cancer associated with heartburn or reflux is to perform an endoscopy, which involves examining the esophagus with a tiny camera attached to a small tube inserted through the mouth. Hecht said that the incidence of adenocarcinoma of the lower esophagus and upper stomach is increasing faster than any other cancer. He noted that the best treatment for adenocarcinoma of the esophagus and upper stomach is surgery. In those cases there is currently no satisfactory treatment. The drug prevents DNA from replicating properly in rapidly dividing cells, such as cancer cells, and results in the death of those cells.
Treatment requires two four-week cycles of infusions followed by two weeks off.
After the second cycle patients are re-examined, and if they show positive response the treatments continue. However, patients or their insurance companies are expected to pay for certain routine items such as lab work, X-rays and pharmacy charges. Side effects of the treatment include diarrhea, stomach cramps, hair loss, lowering of the white cell blood count and vomiting.