Benefits and risks

Information for the public

When NICE looked at the evidence, it decided that there is not much good evidence about how well this procedure works. The 3 studies that NICE looked at involved a total of 62 patients.

They showed the following results:

dysplasia was completely removed in at least half of the patients. Of these, 80% were still free of disease after 2 years
dysplasia came back after treatment in some patients
dysplasia progressed to cancer in some patients at 1 year.

The studies showed that the risks of endoscopic radiofrequency energy included:

scarring causing narrowing of the oesophagus (called oesophageal stricture) in up to 20% of patients, which needed treatment
1 patient developed a hole and an abscess in the oesophagus 12 days after the procedure and enlargement for narrowing of the oesophagus and needed further treatment
3 patients had a tear in the oesophagus caused by the procedure but none of these tears needed treatment
1 patient had a blood clot in the oesophagus but this did not need treatment.

NICE was also told about some other possible risks: pain and difficulty swallowing, problems caused by sedation, and chest and back pain.

If you want to know more about the studies see the guidance. Ask your health professional to explain anything you don't understand.