Hidden Onset: Barrett's Esophagus Likely Begins in Early Adulthood
Researchers using an esophagus-specific epigenetic clock analyzed UK cohorts and estimate that Barrett's esophagus often begins in early adulthood (roughly ages 20–30), decades before clinical diagnosis, creating a long premalignant window that may accumulate cancer-driving mutations and suggesting a shift toward personalized, continuous-risk screening rather than strict age cutoffs; however, broad screening of all GERD patients could lead to oversurveillance.