Treatment for intestinal metaplasia may also include medications that lower the acid in the stomach and esophagus
Esophagus
The esophagus or oesophagus, commonly known as the food pipe or gullet, is an organ in vertebrates through which food passes, aided by peristaltic contractions, from the pharynx to the stomach. The esophagus is a fibromuscular tube, about 25 centimetres long in adults, which travels behind the trachea and heart, passes through the diaphragm and empties into the uppermost region of the stomach. …
How can you reverse intestinal metaplasia?
How is intestinal metaplasia treated? Healthcare providers treat the condition by attempting to eliminate the irritants that cause it. By these means, they hope to at least prevent metaplasia from progressing.
Does metaplasia always turn into cancer?
· If doctors suspect an H. pylori infection is causing intestinal metaplasia, they may recommend a course of antibiotics, including: amoxicillin …
Is intestinal metaplasia of the stomach reversible?
If doctors suspect your intestinal metaplasia is caused by H. pylori infection, they will likely recommend a short course of antibiotics, such as amoxicillin, clarithromycin, or tetracycline, along with over-the-counter or prescription acid-suppressing medications. Eradicating the infection appears to help reverse some cases of intestinal metaplasia altogether and may keep …
Is intestinal metaplasia the same as Barretts?
· Antibiotics help kill the bacteria. You may need to take this medicine for 10 to 14 days. Your healthcare provider will prescribe at least 2 antibiotics at the same time. Antiulcer medicines help decrease the amount of acid that is normally made by the stomach. These help relieve pain and heal or prevent ulcers.
Is there a treatment for intestinal metaplasia?
There is no treatment for GIM. GIM is asymptomatic. Time to develop cancer has been reported to be 4.6–7 years.23, 29, 30 A European guideline in 2019 recommends regular surveillance for early cancer as the main management for GIM. In Asia, screening for early gastric cancer remains a prevalent approach.
How do you get intestinal metaplasia?
Some doctors consider intestinal metaplasia to be a precancerous condition. Intestinal metaplasia is more common in people who have chronic acid reflux or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Some doctors think bacteria called H. pylori causes this change in the digestive tract.
Does all intestinal metaplasia always lead to cancer?
Intestinal metaplasia, a condition in which the cells lining the stomach are abnormal, may be a sign that you are at risk for developing cancer; it does not necessarily mean that you have cancer. 6 You many also have intestinal metaplasia without ever developing stomach cancer.
What percentage of intestinal metaplasia becomes cancer?
In a retrospective study in Slovenia on cancer registry, the cumulative incidences of gastric cancer in those patients previously diagnosed with IM were 1.3% in complete IM-type I, 2.8% in incomplete IM-type II and 9.8% in incomplete IM-type III patients[53].
Should I worry about intestinal metaplasia?
Is intestinal metaplasia serious? This condition is considered a risk factor for cancer. It's not cancer, but it's a step toward it. Cells that have transformed once are more likely to transform again.
What does positive for intestinal metaplasia mean?
Intestinal metaplasia is believed to be a precancerous lesion that may lead to gastric cancer. If you have intestinal metaplasia, then your risk of getting gastric cancer is increased six times .
Is intestinal metaplasia reversible?
WHAT CAUSES IM AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT THAT IT IS REVERSIBLE? Metaplasia is defined as a potentially reversible change from a fully differentiated cell type to another, which implies adaptation to environmental stimuli, and that embryological commitments can be reversed or erased under certain circumstances.
Is metaplasia benign or malignant?
When cells are faced with physiological or pathological stresses, they respond by adapting in any of several ways, one of which is metaplasia. It is a benign (i.e. non-cancerous) change that occurs as a response to change of milieu (physiological metaplasia) or chronic physical or chemical irritation.
How often does intestinal metaplasia turn to cancer?
Atrophic gastritis, intestinal metaplasia, mild-moderate dysplasia, and severe dysplasia were associated with annual incidences of gastric cancer of 0.1%, 0.25%, 0.6%, and 6.0%, respectively.
How are precancerous cells in the stomach treated?
Treatment for high-grade dysplasia may include:an endoscopic resection (ER) – removing a tumour from the stomach using an. endoscope. Close. endoscope. ... a limited surgical resection – removing the section of the stomach wall that contains the abnormal area along with an area of healthy tissue (called the surgical margin)
Is gastric intestinal metaplasia cancer?
Gastric intestinal metaplasia (GIM) is an intermediate precancerous gastric lesion in the gastric cancer cascade of chronic gastritis, atrophic gastritis, intestinal metaplasia (IM), dysplasia, and adenocarcinoma [1]. Although the risk of gastric cancer is increased in patients with GIM, the absolute risk is modest.
What is intestinal metaplasia?
Intestinal metaplasia occurs when cells in the tissues of the upper digestive tract, often in the stomach or esophagus, change and become more like cells from the intestines. Some doctors consider intestinal metaplasia to be a precancerous condition. Intestinal metaplasia is more common in people who have chronic acid reflux or gastroesophageal ...
Is intestinal metaplasia a precancerous condition?
Takeaway. Intestinal metaplasia occurs when cells in the tissues of the upper digestive tract, often in the stomach or esophagus, change and become more like cells from the intestines. Some doctors consider intestinal metaplasia to be a precancerous condition. Intestinal metaplasia is more common in people who have chronic acid reflux ...
Can H pylori cause intestinal metaplasia?
An H . pylori infection may be a cause of intestinal metaplasia. The exact cause of intestinal metaplasia is still uncertain. Some healthcare professionals believe an H. pylori infection causes intestinal metaplasia, but there is also a range of risk factors that may increase the risk of developing it. Perhaps the biggest concern for those ...
Does smoking cause metaplasia?
Smoking is a conscious lifestyle choice that may affect the progression of intestinal metaplasia. Smoking may damage the esophagus (food pipe), which could increase the risk of intestinal metaplasia in the esophagus, known as Barrett’s esophagus. One study in the United European Gastroenterol Journal.
What percentage of the world's population is infected with H. pylori?
According to a systematic review in the journal Gastroenterology, over 50 percent of the world’s population is infected with H. pylori. H. pylori may not cause symptoms in many people, but some people may develop digestive disorders, such as ulcers, gastritis, and GERD.
Can H. pylori cause gastritis?
H. pylori may not cause symptoms in many people, but some people may develop digestive disorders, such as ulcers, gastritis, and GERD. The bacteria tend to attack the lining of the stomach, which is why some doctors believe they are a direct risk factor for intestinal metaplasia.
What is the best medicine for stomach lining?
Doctors may also recommend drugs that reduce acid in the body to help the stomach lining or food pipe heal. This may include over-the-counter (OTC) drugs such as bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto Bismol) or prescription drugs, such as omeprazole (Prilosec).
Is intestinal metaplasia common?
Intestinal metaplasia is very common across the globe; one in every four people who have had an upper endoscopy (a flexible tube inserted into the nose, then down into the upper digestive system for diagnostic purposes), are found to have intestinal metaplasia. 1 Aside from the presence of an H. pylori infection, specific factors that increase the risk of intestinal metaplasia include:
Can intestinal metaplasia cause gastritis?
Most people do not experience noticeable symptoms of intestinal metaplasia. In fact, the condition is not typically associated with any adverse symptoms. 1 Others may have symptoms of stomach distress, such as acid reflux, ulcers, gastritis, or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). However, these symptoms could also evolve from a different underlying cause than intestinal metaplasia.
What are the risk factors for intestinal metaplasia?
The progression of intestinal metaplasia to cancer may be more likely to occur when the following risk factors exist. Genetics: having a family history of stomach cancer or other conditions of the intestinal tract. Alcohol consumption. Long-term incidence of acid reflux.
Where are goblet cells found?
Goblet cells are large, round, hollow cells that are normally found in the intestines; they should not reside in the stomach or esophagus. The function of goblet cells is to preserve and protect the intestines by producing and secreting a thick mucus layer. Many medical experts consider intestinal metaplasia to be a precancerous condition.
What is the function of goblet cells?
The function of goblet cells is to preserve and protect the intestines by producing and secreting a thick mucus layer. Many medical experts consider intestinal metaplasia to be a precancerous condition.
What is the most common cause of peptic ulcer disease?
According to a study published in the journal Gastroenterology, over 50% of people worldwide may have an H. pylori infection. 2 H. pylori is a bacteria that infects the stomach. Infection with it usually occurs during childhood and is a very common cause of peptic (stomach) ulcer disease .
Does smoking cause Barrett's esophagus?
Secondhand smoke (and other toxins in the environment) Smoking: This lifestyle factor may increase the risk of developing many health-related conditions, including increasing the risk of intestinal metaplasia in the esophagus—known as Barrett’s esophagus .
What is the procedure called when you see the inside of your stomach?
Endoscopy is a procedure that uses a scope to see the inside of your stomach. A scope is a soft, flexible tube with a light and tiny camera on the end. It is passed down your throat and into your stomach. Samples of your stomach tissue may be removed and sent to a lab to be tested.
How to get rid of stomach acid?
Do not eat large meals. When you eat a lot of food at one time, your stomach needs more acid to digest it. Eat 6 small meals each day instead of 3 large meals, and eat slowly. Do not eat meals 2 to 3 hours before bedtime. Drink liquids as directed.
What is IM in the stomach?
IM is a condition that changes the cells that line your stomach or esophagus. The cells are changed into or replaced by cells that line your intestines. When IM happens in the esophagus, it is called Barrett esophagus. IM is a precancer lesion. This means it is not cancer yet, but it may develop into cancer over time.
What is the test for H pylori?
Samples of your stomach tissue may be removed and sent to a lab to be tested. A urea breath test may be used to test for H. pylori infection. You will swallow pudding, liquid, or a capsule that contains a chemical. Then you will breathe into a container.
What is the purpose of urea breath test?
A urea breath test may be used to test for H. pylori infection. You will swallow pudding, liquid, or a capsule that contains a chemical. Then you will breathe into a container. Your breath sample will be tested for a reaction to the chemical that confirms H. pylori infection.
How long does it take for H pylori to kill?
H. pylori treatment may include any of the following: Antibiotics help kill the bacteria. You may need to take this medicine for 10 to 14 days. Your healthcare provider will prescribe at least 2 antibiotics at the same time. Antiulcer medicines help decrease the amount of acid that is normally made by the stomach.
Does bismuth help with ulcers?
These help relieve pain and heal or prevent ulcers. Bismuth is a liquid or tablet that may be used to decrease heartburn, upset stomach, or diarrhea. It may also decrease swelling in your stomach and help kill the infection if other medicines do not work. It also protects ulcers from stomach acid so they can heal.
What is GIM in medicine?
Histologically, GIM represents the replacement of normal gastric mucosa by mucin-secreting intestinal mucosa. Helicobacter pyloriinfection is the most common etiologic agent of GIM development worldwide.
What is GIM in medical terms?
Gastric intestinal metaplasia (GIM) is a known premalignant condition of the human stomach along the pathway to gastric cancer (GC). Histologically, GIM represents the replacement of normal gastric mucosa by mucin-secreting intestinal mucosa. Helicobacter pyloriinfection is the most common etiologic agent of GIM development worldwide.
How does diet play a role?
Researchers are still studying the effect of the diet on intestinal metaplasia.
Takeaway
Intestinal metaplasia can be severe. The transformation of the cells of the gastric lining puts a person at a much higher risk of developing gastric cancer.
