CLEVELAND, Ohio — Researchers at Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals are testing a new technology that could screen for abnormal cells in the esophagus – which could develop into cancer -- during a routine doctor visit.
A multi-site study will test medical technologies invented by UH and CWRU scientists and developed by the New York-based biotech firm Lucid Diagnostics, CWRU said in a news release. The research is supported with a new five-year, $8 million grant from the National Institutes of Health.
The study targets a condition called Barrett’s Esophagus, which is a change in the cells lining the esophagus. These changes are typically caused by gastroesophageal reflux disease, or chronic heartburn, and can lead to esophageal cancer.
Acid reflux happening repeatedly over time can cause gastroesophageal reflux disease. Symptoms include a burning sensation in the chest, often called heartburn, backwash of food or sour liquid in the throat, pain in the upper belly or chest and trouble swallowing. Acid reflux can irritate the lining of the esophagus.
Early detection and treatment of Barrett’s Esophagus are important to reduce deaths from esophageal cancer and help patients avoid surgery, CWRU said.
Not everyone with gastroesophageal reflux disease goes on to develop esophageal cancer; patients who don’t have gastroesophageal reflux disease make up half of the esophageal cancer cases, said Amitabh Chak, professor of medicine and oncology at CWRU and gastroenterologist at UH.
Since people without gastroesophageal reflux disease typically aren’t screened for Barrett’s Esophagus, CWRU and UH researchers aim to use Lucid Diagnostics’ non-invasive technology to improve the detection of Barrett’s Esophagus among patients who don’t have gastroesophageal reflux disease but are still at risk for cancer, CWRU said.
The clinical trial, which recently began, will involve 800 participants recruited from UH, University of Colorado, Johns Hopkins University, University of North Carolina and Cleveland Clinic over five years.
UH will likely enroll 300 patients, all recruited from among patients who come to the health system for screenings, Chak said.
Chak — along with Sanford Markowitz, the study’s principal investigator and a professor of cancer genetics at the CWRU School of Medicine; Joseph Willis, a CWRU professor of pathology ; and Helen Moinova, a CWRU School of Medicine instructor — are inventors of the technologies and strategic advisors to Lucid Diagnostics.
The study will test the use of Lucid Diagnostics’ noninvasive technology to gather surface esophagus cells for analysis, and also test the cells’ DNA to find abnormalities and diagnose disease in its early stages, CWRU said.
The noninvasive test for gathering cells asks patients to swallow an EsoCheck capsule, which is connected to a thin catheter, CWRU said.
The EsoGuard DNA test is used to identify abnormal esophageal cells and diagnose disease.
Julie Washington covers healthcare for cleveland.com. Read previous stories at this link.
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