Anaemia is of prognostic significance in patients with oesophageal adenocarcinoma

Anaemia is common in a wide range of malignancies and individual studies have demonstrated it to be an independent prognostic marker for survival in certain cancer types. The study population consisted of 171 patients: 77 anaemic and 94 non-anaemic. Sixty per cent of the study population had adenocarcinoma with 37% having squamous cell carcinoma. Late-stage disease occurred in 80% of individuals. There was no significant difference in survival times between the two groups (p=0.1), and after adjusting for confounding factors including age, sex, stage and physical status (p=0.8).

Barrett’s oesophagus: an overview

Barrett’s oesophagus is common and there is evidence that it is becoming more common. This is significant because of the malignant potential of the condition. The professional gastroenterology societies of the UK and USA now recommend 2–3 yearly endoscopic surveillance with systematic biopsies for those diagnosed with Barrett’s oesophagus. However, surveillance is controversial because the number of patients identified with early cancer is relatively small for the large amount of work that is required.

Anaemia is of prognostic significance in patients with oesophageal adenocarcinoma

Anaemia is common in a wide range of malignancies and individual studies have demonstrated it to be an independent prognostic marker for survival in certain cancer types. The study population consisted of 171 patients: 77 anaemic and 94 non-anaemic. Sixty per cent of the study population had adenocarcinoma with 37% having squamous cell carcinoma. Late-stage disease occurred in 80% of individuals. There was no significant difference in survival times between the two groups (p=0.1), and after adjusting for confounding factors including age, sex, stage and physical status (p=0.8).