Risk factors and update in the treatment of Barrett′s esophagus

The growth rate of the incidence of Barrett′s esophagus ranked the second place among all the malignant esophageal tumors, and Barrett′s esophagus is a precursor of esophageal adenocarcinoma. The incidence of Barrett′s esophagus is closely related to social economic status. In developed countries, the incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma associared with Barrett′s esophagus has been increased rapidly. The risk factors for Barrett′s esophagus include gastroesophageal reflux disease, white or Hispanic race, male, age, smoking and obesity. The treatment of Barrett′s esophagus mainly include drug therapy, endoscopic therapy and surgical treatment. The efficiency of chemoprevention of Barrett′s esophagus still needs to be proved by further randomized clinical trials.