Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center have received a $5.4 million grant to study genetic determinants of Barrett's esophagus and esophageal adenocarcinoma.
This five-year award from the National Cancer Institute will support the Barrett's Esophagus Translational Research Network (BETRNet), which consists of multiple centers collaborating to develop an understanding of the basis of Barrett's esophagus and its conversion to esophageal carcinoma.
Researchers will also work to determine the role genetics and environmental factors play in the development and progression of these diseases, with the ultimate goal of reducing the mortality associated with this deadly cancer, the university said.
BETRNet will be led by Amitabh Chak, MD, a professor of medicine at the School of Medicine and a gastroenterologist at University Hospitals Case Medical Center.
Although the rate of many common cancers has declined in recent years, the rate of esophageal cancer has increased more than sixfold over the past three decades, the university noted. The prognosis for this cancer remains poor, accounting for more than one in 50 adult male cancer-related deaths.
