Barrett's esophagus is a well-known precursor of esophageal adenocarcinoma. Monitoring patients with Barrett's esophagus is recommended for detecting high-grade dysplasia or cancer. Gastroesophageal reflux disease affects approximately 20% of the population in developed countries. About 10-15% of patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease develop Barrett's esophagus, which can progress to adenocarcinoma. The esophagus is normally lined by squamous mucosa. Therefore, it is clear that for an adenocarcinoma, there is a prior sequence of events that lead to normal squamous mucosa transformation.
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