Because Barrett’s esophagus predisposes a person to esophageal adenocarcinoma, patients worry about their prognosis. A recent review of the medical literature explains how the disease’s diagnosis and treatment affect patients’ quality of life.

• Barrett’s esophagus lowers health-related quality of life (HRQoL) scores, when compared to controls in the general population.
• HRQoL scores for patients with Barrett’s esophagus are similar to HRQoL scores of patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease.
• Patients with Barrett’s esophagus do not seem to be getting adequate follow-up education, as evidenced by the fact that some don’t understand their condition, have an inaccurate picture of their cancer risk, and are experiencing unnecessary psychological stress as a result of the diagnosis.