Hi Mom_spaz8
Welcome to the board! First things first, calm down. Getting upset, scared and nervous won't help a thing. I know it is scary, but it isn't usually fatal. Barrett's esophagus is a precancerous condition of the esophagus that occurs in people who have long standing GERD. It is caused by the erosive action of the refluxed acid on the sensitive mucosa. In time, the mucosal cells can alter theri arrangement from stratified to columnar, a change that i sknown as dysplasia. In all intestinal cancers, the development of dysplasia brings with it the "possibility" of cancer, meaning that not all people who have dysplasia will develop cancer, but some of those who develop cancer first were found to have dysplasia. The rate of Barrett's esophagus patients who develop cancer is about 1% per year. The condition is not considered reversible. However, some advances have been made to try to contain the condition, if not reverse it. One, called photodynamci therapy(PDT), involves the use of a light sensitive drug that reacts to a laser's light to slough off the damaged mucosa, allowing for healthier mucosa to rebuild itself. Another, called endosocpic mucosal resection (EMR), allows for the removal of large sections of precancerous and stage 1 cancerous sections of affected mucosa to be removed with out affection the structure of the esophagus. Controversy over the beneficial effects fo the techniques continuse, and there are no long term results available for them. Short of using these procedures, doctors who care for patients with Barrett's esophagus generally try to keep the reflux in check while preforming regular endoscopic exams and taking biopsies to check the condidtin's progress.
As for the colonoscopy, have they ever diagnosed you with Crohn's? What all symptoms do you have? I have crohn's too and also GERD, so I can relate to what you are going through. One of the major risk factors for developing colon cancer is the presence of IBD. The best way to find cancer is through the use of the colonoscopy, which is what your doctor did. YOur doctor may be doing another colonoscopy to really look at what is going on inside of your intestines and to look at the area surrounding the site of the previous polyp. If you have IBD, your cancer can appear as flat, plaque like lesions as opposed to the more prominent polyps that more easily appear. Aside from the fact taht the colonoscopy allows the doctor to actually see the bowel walls, the endoscopic tool allows the doctor to take numerous biopsies of tissues that can be examined for the presence of precancerous cellualr chages called dyplasia. Your doctor will discuss with you the different treatment measures to be taken. I know this is a very scary time in your life right now. We are here for you. Please feel free to ask any and all questions you have. Let us know how things go for you this coming week. Sending warm(((((((((((((((((((((HUGS))))))))))))))))))))))to you!!
Hugs,
