Barrett's Esophagus clinical trials at University of California Health

This randomized phase II trial studies the safety of and how well aspirin works in preventing Barrett's esophagus from returning after it has been successfully eliminated by radiofrequency ablation. Studying samples of tissue from patients with Barrett's esophagus for the levels of a specific protein that is linked to developing Barrett's esophagus may help doctors learn whether aspirin can prevent it from returning after it has been successfully treated.

Esophageal cancer is a deadly disease that is becoming increasingly common in the United States. Barrett's esophagus (BE) is a pre-cancerous state that can develop into esophageal cancer, but is highly treatable. Progression of BE to esophageal cancer is still common due to missed diagnosis of Barrett's esophagus recurrence following treatment. Wide-Area Trans-Epithelial Sampling (WATS-3D) is a new technology that uses brush sampling to examine larger areas of the esophagus as compared to conventional biopsies. Preliminary studies show improved detection of cancerous changes in Barrett's esophagus surveillance. The investigators hope to see if the addition of WATS-3D increases the rate of detection of recurrent BE following treatment, which is of the utmost importance since it would allow for earlier re-treatment of disease and ultimately allow for prevention of progression to esophageal cancer.