Barrett's Esophagus - 1253850

Hi David, I'm so sorry, it's just one more thing. We've had several conversations on the topic. Here is a search result (you may need to log out to access it depending on your browser) http://cancergrace.org/search-results?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mayoclinic.com…
It makes me wonder if treatment that causes esophageal irritation may contribute.

Here's Mayo's input on barretts
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/barretts-esophagus/HQ00312

I'll ask Dr. Weiss to comment on this.

The good news is it doesn't very often become cancerous and can be watched closely for precancerous cells that can be treated. I hope it can be treated so it doesn't cause you discomfort.

All best,
Janine

Though it's a plausible possibility, I am not aware of any information on this as a complication of lung cancer treatments or a difference in outcomes based on someone having a history of treated lung cancer.

Good luck.

-Dr. West

I'm also not aware of any data directly addressing the subject of whether lung treatment can cause Barret's. However, it does make common sense that radiation to the lung could influence risk of Barrett's and even esophageal cancer. You also ask whether prior lung cancer influences the risk of Barrett's becoming cancerous. Again, there are no direct data. However, we can address the subject again with some common sense. The body that has lung cancer has already proven that it can make cancer in response to environmental insults (typically cigarette smoke) so one might speculate (note hesitant word choice!) that the cells of such a body might not be as good at repairing their DNA. It's also worth noting that, as in lung CA, there are 2 major kinds of esophageal CA--adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. The major risk factor for adenocarcinoma is Barrett's (presumably leading to your question). The major risk factor for squamous cell carcinoma is cigarette smoke. So, if you were ever a smoker, and if you haven't already done so, you should make all possible efforts to quit.