Tick box questionnaire could significantly improve oesophageal cancer survival rates

A simple health questionnaire could be a highly effective tool to pre-screen people for early signs of oesophageal cancer, enabling much earlier diagnosis and treatment, finds a UCL-led study. The research, published in Lancet Digital Health , used artificial intelligence to analyse a large oesophageal cancer dataset, known as BEST2 (1,299 patients), to establish which health factors were common in those individuals who had Barrett's oesophagus. Barrett's oesophagus is a condition where the cells of the oesophagus (gullet) grow abnormally and is usually caused by acid reflux. Barrett's oesophagus is not a cancer, but is the only known pre-cursor for oesophageal cancer, increasing the risk of cancer by 30 to 60 fold. Significantly, AI found eight factors: age; gender; smoking; waist circumference; frequency of stomach pain; duration of heartburn; acid taste; and taking of acid suppression medicines, which were markers in those individuals who either had Barrett's oesophagus or went on to develop it. As a control, the risk factors identified by AI in BEST2, were then tested on a different oesophageal cancer dataset, known as BOOST (398 patients), and the conclusions were the same. Lead author, Professor Laurence Lovat (UCL Surgery & Interventional Science and UCLH) said: "Our evidence highlights a set of risk factors, which could act as an early warning sign for the likelihood of developing Barrett's oesophagus , and potentially oesophageal cancer.