Risk factors for Barrett’s oesophagus and oesophageal adenocarcinoma:Results from the FINBAR study

AIM:To investigate risk factors associated with Barrett's oesophagus and oesophageal adenocarcinoma.METHODS:This all-Ireland population-based case-control study recruited 224 Barrett's oesophagus patients,227 oesophageal adenocarcinoma patients and 260 controls.All participants underwent a structured interview with information obtained about potential lifestyle and environmental risk factors.RESULTS:Gastro-oesophageal reflux was associated with Barrett's [OR 12.0(95% CI 7.64-18.7)] and oesophageal adenocarcinoma [OR 3.48(95% CI 2.25-5.41)].Oesophageal adenocarcinoma patients were more likely than controls to be ex-or current smokers [OR 1.72(95% CI 1.06-2.81)and OR 4.84(95% CI 2.72-8.61)respectively] and to have a high body mass index [OR 2.69(95% CI 1.62-4.46)].No significant associations were observed between these risk factors and Barrett's oesophagus.Fruit but not vegetables were negatively associated with oesophageal adenocarcinoma [OR 0.50(95% CI 0.30-0.86)].CONCLUSION:A high body mass index,a diet low in fruit and cigarette smoking may be involved in the progression from Barrett's oesophagus to oesophageal adenocarcinoma.

Psychosocial factors and their association with reflux oesophagitis,Barrett's oesophagus and oesophageal adenocarcinoma

AIM:To investigate the role of psychological characteristics as risk factors for oesophageal adenocarcinoma(OAC),as well as the reflux-mediated precursor pathway.METHODS:An all-Ireland population-based case-control study recruited 230 reflux oesophagitis(RO),224 Barrett's oesophagus(BO) and 227 OAC patients and 260 controls.Each case/control group completed measures of stress,depression,self-efficacy,self-esteem,repression and social support.A comparative analysis was undertaken using polytomous logistic regression adjusted for potential confounders.RESULTS:Compared to controls,OAC patients were almost half as likely to report high stress levels over their lifetime(P = 0.010,OR 0.51;95%CI:0.29-0.90)and 36% less likely to report having experienced depression(OR 0.64;95%CI:0.42-0.98).RO patients reported significantly higher stress than controls particularly during middle-and senior-years(P for trends < 0.001).RO patients were 37% less likely to report having been highly emotionally repressed(OR 0.63;95%CI:0.41-0.95).All case groups(OAC,RO and BO) were more likely than controls to report having had substantial amounts of social support(OR 2.84;95%CI:1.63-4.97;OR 1.97;95%CI:1.13-3.44 and OR 1.83;95%CI:1.03-3.24,respectively).CONCLUSION:The improved psychological profile of OAC patients may be explained by response shift.The role of psychological factors in the development of OAC requires further investigation.

Have patients with esophagitis got an increased risk of adenocarcinoma? Results from a population-based study

AIM: To examine an increased risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma is restricted to patients who develop Barrett's esophagus or whether esophagitis per se is a risk factor for adenocarcinoma.METHODS: A population-based cohort of patients with histological evidence of esophagitis without Barrett's esophagus was constructed using electronic pathology reports relating to all esophageal biopsies in Northern Ireland between 1993 and 1996. Person-years of followup and incident cases of esophageal cancer were calculated by linking the cohort to death files and the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry records. Standardized incidence ratios (SIR) were calculated for esophageal cancers (adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), and histologically unspecified cancers).RESULTS: A total of 2 013 patients in the cohort provided 13 559 patient-years of follow-up (mean follow-up 6.7 years). None of the patients developed adenocarcinoma. Three patients developed SCC, and six developed histologically unspecified cancers. The SIR for all esophageal cancers and for SCC were 2.73 (95%CI 1.25-5.19) and 2.93 (95%CI 0.61-8.59), respectively. In a sensitivity analysis in which all unspecified esophageal cancers were treated as adenocarcinomas, the SIR for adenocarcinoma was 2.64 (0.97-5.75).CONCLUSION: The risk of adenocarcinoma is not elevated in patients with histological evidence of esophagitis without Barrett's esophagus; however, these patients may have a moderately increased risk of SCC.Further studies are required to confirm these findings,which suggest that Barrett's esophagus, not esophagitis,is the key precursor lesion in the development of adenocarcinoma.

What is the purpose of launching World Journal of Meta-Analysis?

The exponential growth of scientific evidence(i.e., primary research) and the ongoing development of methods to summarize such evidence, such as meta-analyses and mixed treatment comparisons(i.e., secondary research), make the worldwide dissemination of highquality meta-analyses and pertinent articles a key scientific priority. The World Journal of Meta-Analysis will apply an electronic open access publishing approach combined with a timely and thorough peer-review of submitted manuscripts, weighing more on quality than priority, in order to improve the dissemination of systematic reviews and meta-analyses, as well as novelties and advancements in methods related to them, focusing on clinical medicine, but spanning all biomedical, epidemiological, and psychological research fields.