Coastal Carolina Reflux Specialists uses leading-edge technologies to diagnose and treat stomach and esophageal issues. For the comfort and care of our patients, we now offer a proactive screening for Barrett’s esophagus and esophageal cancer using a non-invasive DNA test.
Catching esophageal cancer early can help improve a patients' treatment options and quality of life.
Who should get an esophageal cancer screening
We know patients with certain risk factors for the disease could benefit from scheduling an esophageal cancer screening. Such risk factors can include:
- Obesity: Being overweight, or having a high BMI, can increase your risk of developing cancer.
- Tobacco use: The chronic use of smoking and tobacco products can increase risk of esophageal cancer. The use of the addictive chemical, nicotine, has been linked to many types of cancers and other diseases.
- Chronic acid reflux/GERD: Chronic acid reflux may cause changes in a patient’s body function that eventually lead to esophageal cancer. The constant backwash of acid irritates and inflames the lining of a patient’s esophagus, often causing the tissue to become narrowed, due to scar tissue, or the lining to be damaged.
- Family history of esophageal cancer: A family history of esophageal cancer and/or Barrett's esophagus is often associated with an increased risk of developing the disease. It’s important to let your primary care physician and our team know of any family history that has been diagnosed with esophageal cancer or Barrett’s esophagus.
How you can get tested
- Call our office at (843) 875-8994 and request the DNA test.
- During your appointment, we conduct a simple in-office procedure to collect DNA from your esophagus. The procedure is noninvasive and takes just a few minutes.
- Often within two weeks, our care team will review the results and let you know if any further evaluation is needed.