Introduction: Endoscopic eradication therapy (EET) has evolved as a minimally invasive and efficacious option to treat patients with dysplastic Barret's esophagus. We aimed to conduct a cross-sectional study to assess patient values and preferences on EET.
Methods: All consecutive patients at our clinic and endoscopy center were enrolled between November 2020 and April 2022. The primary outcome was their willingness to undergo EET measured using a validated survey tool. Predictors of this outcome included patient demographics, disease characteristics, procedure types, and physician characteristics. We used a multivariable logistic regression model to assess the association between the primary outcome and its predictors.
Results: A total of 101 consecutive Barret's esophagus patients were surveyed. The median age was 67 years, and 71.3% were males. About 48% (n = 48) of the patients had dysplasia, 19% had no dysplasia and others were unsure about the presence or absence of dysplasia. About one-third (30%, n = 30) of patients placed equal values on preventing cancer and avoiding adverse events, and 68% said they were somewhat or definitely willing to undergo EET (ablation and resection). On multivariable logistic regression analysis, the patient value of high emphasis on cancer prevention (odds ratio [OR] 2.9 [1.1-7.6], p = 0.0344) and positive relationship with a gastroenterologist (OR 4.7 [1.3-17], p = 0.02) were strongly associated with increased willingness to undergo EET.
Conclusions: In this single-center prospective study of Barret's esophagus patients, the willingness to undergo EET was strongly associated with two predictors: high emphasis on cancer prevention and a positive relationship with the gastroenterologist.
Keywords: Barrett's esophagus; endoscopic eradication therapy; patients’ preferences; patients’ values; willingness to undergo EET.
© 2024 The Authors. DEN Open published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Japan Gastroenterological Endoscopy Society.