This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
NCI awards $6 million to study Barrett’s esophagus
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
Case Comprehensive Cancer Center and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine received a $6 million, 5-year grant from the National Cancer Institute to continue research of Barrett’s esophagus, according to a press release.
“During the previous award period, the team developed new methods for easy detection of Barrett’s Esophagus and identified novel molecular mechanisms that cause cancer,” Amitabh Chak, MD, MS, director of clinical research in the division of gastroenterology and liver disease at UH Cleveland Medical Center, said in the release. “The team will now screen people with this new method to detect Barrett’s esophagus and prevent the development of cancer. They will also develop new approaches for treating esophageal cancer.”
This NCI award extends a 2011 grant that provided $5.4 million to study genetic biomarkers of Barrett’s esophagus and esophageal adenocarcinoma. Barrett’s esophagus significantly increases esophageal cancer risk.
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine will act as a Barrett’s Esophagus Translational Research Network (BETRNet) Research Center, where researchers will develop a new molecular marker based method for detecting Barrett’s esophagus. Six additional institutions will join the previous research group in this new investigation to find novel approaches to identify, monitor and improve outcomes for patients at risk for this disease.
“A non-endoscopic, easy method for identifying Barrett’s Esophagus will result in prevention or early detection of esophageal cancer,” Chak said. “Characterizing molecular mechanisms that cause cancer will lead to better targeted approaches to effective cancer treatments.”
Disclosures: Chak reports no relevant financial disclosures.