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St. Elizabeth Hospital announces new treatment to prevent esophageal cancer

Barrx procedure safely removes pre-cancerous, Barrett’s esophagus condition

12 / 16 / 2008

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APPLETON, Wis. –St. Elizabeth Hospital now offers a state-of-the-art treatment to prevent deadly esophageal cancer. Known as Barrx (pronounced BAR-x) procedure, this safe treatment targets those with the pre-cancerous Barrett’s esophagus condition, a complication of chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Esophageal cancer is the fastest growing cancer in the U.S. and the majority of esophageal cancer patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage with poor prognosis, according to the American Association for Cancer Research.

Dr. Timothy Edison, a gastroenterologist specializing in the treatment of disorders of the esophagus, stomach and gastrointestinal tract, was instrumental in bringing the Barrx procedure to St. Elizabeth Hospital.

“It’s no question that Barrx is a life-saving procedure,” Edison said. “Our ability to safely treat those with Barrett’s esophagus and prevent esophageal cancer puts us in the best position possible to stay ahead of the cancer, especially as its prevalence is on the rise.”

More than one million Americans have Barrett’s esophagus, according to the Medical University of South Carolina. Those who have chronic acid reflux are at a higher risk for the disease.

The Barrx procedure uses HALO ablation technology where the affected tissue is heated until all diseased tissue is removed. This is done without damage to the normal underlying structures.

Barrx is an outpatient procedure and in most cases, takes less than 30 minutes.

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For the Editor:
Affinity Health System, a Catholic mission-oriented regional health care network, is a partnership of Ministry Health Care and Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare. Affinity Health System is the Fox Valley’s third largest employer, according to the Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce & Industry, and is nationally listed among the top 50 hospitals for quality and efficiency (Thomson Reuters, Modern Healthcare). For eight consecutive years, Affinity Health System has been named to the SDI Health (formerly Verispan) Integrated Health Network Top 100, an annual assessment of the 100 most highly integrated health care networks in the nation – Affinity ranks no. 29 in the 2009 report. Both St. Elizabeth Hospital in Appleton and Mercy Medical Center in Oshkosh rank among the top 1 percent among hospitals nationwide in terms of quality and efficiency, as determined by the 2007 Premier | CareScience Select practice National Quality Award. Network Health Plan has achieved Excellent accreditation status from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), the highest possible level. It is ranked 31st in the nation, according to the U.S. News and World Report/NCQA Best Health Plans in America listing. Members of Affinity include Mercy Medical Center and Mercy Health Foundation, Oshkosh; St. Elizabeth Hospital and the St. Elizabeth Hospital Community Foundation, Appleton; Affinity Medical Group, a regional network of 22 family practice and specialty clinics – including two fully operational Medical Home models – in 14 communities; Calumet Medical Center, Chilton; Network Health Plan, Menasha; and Affinity Occupational Health.