Health
Cancer prevention in the esophagus could be just a pill away, doctor says: ‘Tremendous benefit’
A vitamin-sized pill could be the future of esophageal cancer prevention.
Cancer of the esophagus — the muscular tube that moves food from the mouth into the stomach — has just a 20% five-year survival rate. Yet there are no standard or routine screening tests for the disease, according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI).
Lucid Diagnostics, a New York-based biotech company, is looking to change that with its newly developed test, which only requires taking a single, vitamin-sized pill.
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Fox News Digital spoke with Lishan Aklog, M.D., chairman and CEO of Lucid, about how the test, called the EsoGuard, could offer a new line of defense against a cancer that has flown “under the radar” in terms of screening.
“For the more common breast, cancer and lung cancers, early detection programs like mammography, colonoscopy and PAP testing have decreased the mortality rates by about 50% over the last couple of decades — so we know early detection works,” he said. “But there are other cancers that we don’t talk about as frequently, but are extremely deadly.”
Lucid Diagnostics, a New York-based biotech company, has created an esophageal cancer screening test that only requires taking a single, vitamin-sized pill. (Lucid Diagnostics)
The three deadliest are all cancers of the gastrointestinal system, Aklog noted — pancreatic, esophageal and liver.
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“All three of them are effectively a death sentence, and we don’t think about these as much.”
With the new technology behind EsoGuard, Aklog hopes to offer a new routine screening for esophageal cancer and prevent deaths.
Cancer prevention rather than detection
With other types of cancers, such as colon and breast, detecting the disease early in the first stage is a “victory,” Aklog said, because it comes with about a 90% cure rate.
“But it’s not really a victory to pick up stage one esophageal cancer,” he said.
“The mortality rate for even stage one esophageal cancer is awful. It’s one of the cancers that you have to pick up in the precancerous stage in order to do the appropriate interventions and surveillance, so you actually can prevent cancer.”
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EsoGuard is designed to detect GERD — gastroesophageal reflux disease — which is known to be a risk factor for the development of esophageal cancer.
“There is a direct link that’s not very widely known between chronic reflux, chronic heartburn and cancer,” Aklog said.
“When you have fluid in the stomach, acid makes its way into the lower esophagus, where it doesn’t belong,” he went on. “That causes cellular changes that can eventually evolve into full-blown cancer.”
The sample is sent to the central laboratory for analysis, after which the patient gets a positive or negative result. (Lucid Diagnostics)
Although anyone can benefit from the test, Aklog said, it is most important for people who have at least three of the six main risk factors.
Those at the highest risk include people with chronic heartburn, obesity, family history and a history of smoking.
Those who are male, White and 50 years or older are also more likely to develop this type of cancer.
“There is a direct link that’s not very widely known between chronic reflux, chronic heartburn and cancer.”
Last year, Lucid partnered with the San Antonio Fire Department to screen firefighters, who have a 62% higher risk of developing esophageal cancer.
“In two weekends, we tested more than 400 firefighters, and we identified precancerous conditions in a number of them,” Aklog said.
Deputy Fire Chief Darin Wallentine of the Sarasota County Fire Department said he looks forward to starting regular screenings.
EsoGuard is designed to detect GERD — gastroesophageal reflux disease — which is known to be a risk factor for the development of esophageal cancer. (iStock)
“Any additional cancer screening is a tremendous benefit to the fire service,” he told Fox News Digital. “Catching a pre-cancer or early-stage cancer is an opportunity for a firefighter to maintain their career and … live a long and healthy life following a career of public service.”
He added, “It’s all about catching cancer early and not finding it when it’s too late.”
Simply treating heartburn symptoms won’t help reduce the risk, Aklog noted.
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“We have pretty good medications that treat the symptoms of heartburn — but they don’t treat the mechanical problem of the sloshing of fluid into the lower esophagus, even though the pain is not there.”
“Even if symptoms are well-controlled or even eliminated with these over-the-counter medications, behind the scenes the abnormalities in the esophagus are continuing and can progress to cancer,” he warned.
Cancer of the esophagus — the muscular tube that moves food from the mouth into the stomach — has just a 20% five-year survival rate. (iStock)
Only about 5% of the highest-risk population are currently getting tested, Aklog noted.
“It’s a huge opportunity to have a big impact on cancer deaths.”
How EsoGuard works
The precancerous condition occurs in a small two-inch patch in the lowest part of the esophagus, or the food tube just above the juncture with the stomach, Aklog said.
The goal is to collect cells from that area and then perform molecular diagnostic testing that can identify genetic changes very early.
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“It’s really groundbreaking science that allows scientists to pick up these very subtle changes in the earliest precancerous stage, before the abnormalities and mutations that typically come with cancer,” Aklog said.
The test has an 85% sensitivity and a 99% predictive value, he told Fox News Digital.
Historically, the only way to gather the cells was to do an endoscopy, an invasive test that requires anesthesia and sedation.
A malignant tumor is shown in the human esophagus. Only about 5% of the highest-risk population are currently getting tested for this type of cancer. (iStock)
“With EsoGuard, we can collect these cells in an office setting in less than two minutes, typically without anesthesia or any kind of sedation,” Aklog said.
“You just swallow this little capsule that’s attached to a little, floppy catheter — a balloon-like device — and within two minutes, the cells are collected in a very targeted way.”
“In two weekends, we tested more than 400 firefighters, and we identified precancerous conditions in a number of them.”
The sample is sent to the central laboratory for analysis, after which the patient gets a positive or negative result.
“If it’s negative, they can feel comfortable that they don’t have the precancer, but if the underlying reflux continues, recent data would suggest that they undergo repeat testing every four to five years,” said Aklog.
If it’s a positive result, that means the patient has some degree of a precancerous condition.
Last year, Lucid partnered with the San Antonio Fire Department (not pictured) to screen firefighters, who have a 62% higher risk of developing esophageal cancer. (iStock)
“If it’s early precancer, they must undergo close monitoring with a follow-up endoscopy every three years to pick up the progression to late precancer, which is treated to prevent progression to cancer,” Aklog said.
If it’s a later-stage precancer, the patient would get treatment via endoscopy to eliminate the abnormal cells and prevent them from developing into cancer, he said.
Doctors share insight
Dr. Bruce Greenwald, a leading gastroenterologist at the Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center at University of Maryland Medical Center, was not involved in the EsoGuard development but commented on its effectiveness.
“Esoguard detects a precancerous condition called Barrett’s esophagus, which is a known risk factor for esophageal cancer,” he told Fox News Digital.
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“If Barrett’s esophagus is found, then that individual can be followed with endoscopy, and interventions can be taken before Barrett’s esophagus becomes cancerous.”
Greenwald noted that while many people have GERD, esophageal cancer is relatively uncommon.
“Currently, those with GERD and the highest risk of esophageal cancer are White obese men,” he said. “Other groups also carry risk, but to a lesser degree.”
“A minimally invasive test like Esoguard could identify those at risk for esophageal cancer before it appears.”
“Currently, those with GERD and the highest risk of esophageal cancer are White obese men,” according to a gastroenterologist. (iStock)
Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center and a Fox News medical contributor, was not involved in Lucid’s test development but commented on its potential.
“It is an office procedure that takes five minutes and has over 90% accuracy,” he told Fox News Digital.
“You simply lower a pill into the stomach and pull it back out.”
“It is very useful as an intermediate step for those with chronic reflux, who could have a change in the esophagus that is a precursor of esophageal cancer,” he went on.
Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center and a Fox News medical contributor, was not involved in Lucid’s test development but commented on its potential. (Fox News)
“This is especially important as we get older and the risks increase.”
Siegel noted that some people are afraid of getting an “invasive” endoscopy.
“This test is an intermediate, highly accurate step to help in assessing the risk and deciding whether you need an endoscopy or not,” the doctor said.
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EsoGuard is now available in many major states, Aklog said.
“We’ve already done tens of thousands of tests, and physicians are embracing and adopting it for their patients,” he noted. “We have numerous examples of patients in whom we’ve picked up the latest stage of precancer, so we’re making an impact.”
The final steps in the process will involve getting insurance coverage, which is currently in the works.
Historically, the only way to gather cells for testing was to do an endoscopy, an invasive test that requires anesthesia and sedation. (iStock)
The EsoGuard has proven to be a “safe and simple” test, Aklog said.
“There have been tens of thousands of tests performed with no complications,” he said. “It’s just basically a swab of the lower part of the food tube.”
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The only caveat is that there have been a small number of false negatives and false positives, he pointed out.
Greenwald agreed that the risk of a complication from EsoGuard seems to be low.
“The test does require swallowing a catheter, which can be uncomfortable,” he said.
“Identifying Barrett’s esophagus could cause anxiety about getting cancer, but most people with the condition never develop cancer,” he said.
While there have been some previous efforts to develop esophageal cancer screening methods, Aklog said they have not been as “gentle” or accurate as EsoGuard.
“This is the first one that’s been successful and accurate enough to play a role in a widespread early detection program.”
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Feeling lonely may take a toll on older adults’ memory — but it may not speed up cognitive decline, according to a new study.
Researchers from Colombia, Spain and Sweden analyzed data from more than 10,000 adults ages 65 to 94 across 12 European countries and found those who reported higher levels of loneliness did worse on memory tests at the start of the study, according to research published this month in the journal Aging & Mental Health.
Over a seven-year period, however, memory decline occurred at a similar rate regardless of how lonely participants felt.
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“The finding that loneliness significantly impacted memory, but not the speed of decline in memory over time was a surprising outcome,” lead author Dr. Luis Carlos Venegas-Sanabria of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences at the Universidad del Rosario said in a statement.
Loneliness may be linked to memory performance in older adults, a new study suggests. (iStock)
“It suggests that loneliness may play a more prominent role in the initial state of memory than in its progressive decline,” Venegas-Sanabria said, adding that the findings highlight the importance of addressing loneliness as a factor in cognitive performance.
The findings add to debate about whether loneliness contributes to dementia risk. While loneliness and social isolation are often considered risk factors for cognitive decline, research results have been mixed.
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The study looked at data from the long-running Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), which tracked 10,217 older adults between 2012 and 2019. Participants were asked to recall words immediately and after a delay to measure memory performance.
Social isolation and loneliness could play a surprising role in cognitive health among seniors. (iStock)
Loneliness was assessed using three questions about how often participants felt isolated, left out or lacking companionship.
About 8% of participants reported high levels of loneliness at the outset. That group tended to be older, more likely to be female and more likely to have conditions such as depression.
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Researchers found that those with higher loneliness had lower scores on both immediate and delayed memory tests at baseline. Still, all groups — regardless of loneliness level — experienced similar declines in memory over time.
The results suggest loneliness may not directly accelerate the progression of memory loss, though it remains linked to poorer cognitive performance overall.
Researchers look at a brain scan at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. (Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images)
Experts warn, however, that the findings should not be interpreted to mean loneliness is harmless.
“The finding that lonely older adults start with worse memory but don’t decline faster is actually the most interesting part of the paper, and I think it’s easy to misread,” said Jordan Weiss, Ph.D., a scientific advisor and aging expert at Assisted Living Magazine and a professor at NYU Grossman School of Medicine.
“It likely means loneliness does its damage earlier in life, well before people show up in a study like this at 65-plus,” Weiss told Fox News Digital.
By older age, long-term social patterns may already be established, making it harder to detect when the effects of loneliness first took hold, an aging expert says. (iStock)
He suggested that by older age, long-term social patterns may already be established, making it harder to detect when the effects of loneliness first took hold.
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“By the time you’re measuring someone in their late 60s, decades of social connection patterns are already baked in,” he said.
Weiss, who was not involved in the research, added that loneliness may coincide with other health conditions, and noted that participants who felt more isolated also had higher rates of depression, high-blood pressure and diabetes. The link, he said, may reflect a cluster of health risks rather than a direct cause.
“While they can go hand-in-hand, it’s not clear that loneliness contributes to dementia,” a psychotherapist says. (iStock)
Amy Morin, a Florida-based psychotherapist and author, said the findings reflect a broader pattern in research on loneliness and brain health, and that the relationship may be more complex than it appears.
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“The evidence shows there’s a link between loneliness and cognitive decline but there’s no direct evidence of a cause and effect relationship,” she said. “So while they can go hand-in-hand, it’s not clear that loneliness contributes to dementia.”
Morin added that loneliness, which can fluctuate, may not be the root of the problem, but rather a symptom of other underlying mental or physical health issues.
Researchers suggested screening for loneliness be incorporated into routine cognitive assessments as one way to support healthy aging. (iStock)
She said staying socially and mentally engaged is crucial for overall brain health.
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“It’s important to be proactive about social activities,” Morin said. “Joining a book club, having coffee with a friend, or attending faith-based services can be a powerful way to maintain connections in older age.”
The researchers also suggested screening for loneliness be incorporated into routine cognitive assessments as one way to support healthy aging.
Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers for comment.
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Research continues to uncover new details on how fasting may help extend life.
A new study published in the journal Nature Communications investigated how intermittent fasting can boost longevity in small worms often used in aging research.
Researchers from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas compared worms that were fed normally to those that underwent a 24-hour fast in early adulthood and were then fed again, according to a press release.
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The scientists measured a variety of factors, including stored fat, gene activity related to fat metabolism and lifespan.
The results showed that the life-boosting benefit did not depend on the fasting itself but on the body’s behavior after eating again.
Experts say sustainability is key when choosing a long-term weight-loss strategy. (iStock)
Study lead Peter Douglas, associate professor of molecular biology and a member of the Hamon Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine at UT Southwestern, suggested that these discoveries “shift the focus toward a neglected side of the metabolic coin – the re-feeding phase.”
“Our data suggest that the health-promoting effects of intermittent fasting are not merely a product of the fast itself, but are dependent on how the metabolic machinery recalibrates during the subsequent transition back to a fed state,” he said.
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“Our findings bridge a gap between lipid metabolism and aging research,” he added. “By targeting aging, the single greatest risk factor for human disease, we move beyond treating isolated conditions toward a preventive model of medicine that enhances quality of life for all individuals.”
Lauri Wright, director of nutrition programs at the University of South Florida’s College of Public Health, called this a “high-quality” study that adds an “important nuance to how we think about fasting and longevity.”
Intermittent fasting typically involves limiting meals to an eight-hour daily window or fasting every other day. (iStock)
The benefits of the refeeding phase after fasting were “especially interesting,” Wright, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital.
“The researchers showed that longevity was linked to the body’s ability to turn off fat breakdown after fasting, allowing cells to restore energy balance,” she reiterated.
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“From a scientific standpoint, that’s a meaningful shift because it suggests fasting is not just about burning fat, but about metabolic flexibility.”
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Fasting may support longevity through triggering metabolic switching, enhancing cellular repair and stress resistance and improving markers like insulin sensitivity, research shows.
Limitations and cautions
Although this study provides “important insight” on the power of refeeding, Wright noted that the findings should be approached with caution, as the study was done on worms and cannot always be translated to humans.
“Additionally, it explains how a process might work in a controlled lab condition rather than real-world eating behaviors,” she added as a limitation. “Finally, the study is short-term and doesn’t give us the long-term translation on lifespan outcomes.”
The review found intermittent fasting was barely more effective than doing nothing, according to the study authors. (iStock)
Wright cautioned that fasting is “not a magic solution for longevity, and how you eat overall matters more than when you eat.”
“I advise, first and foremost, to focus on diet quality, including a variety of fruits and vegetables, healthy fats and minimally processed foods,” she said.
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For those who are considering fasting, it’s better to stick with a moderate plan — like a 12- to 14-hour overnight fast — rather than going to extremes, Wright said. After fasting, she recommends focusing on well-balanced meals.
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Several groups of people should be cautioned against fasting, according to Wright, including those with diabetes who are on insulin or hypoglycemic medications, those who are pregnant or breastfeeding, anyone with a history of eating disorders and older adults at risk of malnutrition.
Anyone considering intermittent fasting should consult with a doctor before starting.
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