Preempting Cancer

At its core, preempting cancer means stopping it before it starts.

Before discussing how WATS3D accomplishes “preemption,” it’s important to have a basic understanding of the disease and how it develops.

What is cancer?

Cancer is a devastating disease that claims more than 600,000 people in the United States each year.

Cancer develops when the body's normal control mechanism stops working. Old cells do not die and instead grow out of control, forming new, abnormal cells. which take up space and nutrients needed by healthy cells - preventing organs and tissues from functioning correctly. Cancer cells can metastasize, or spread to different parts of the body, and affect organ function far from the original site.

Who is most at-risk for cancer?

The risk factors associated with cancer can differ depending on the type of cancer. For example,  esophageal cancer risk factors include controllable habits, such as diet, exercise, or tobacco use, and uncontrollable factors, such as age or heredity. As with many diseases, cancer may also occur randomly with no obvious causes.

Is dysplasia the same as cancer?

Dysplasia is the presence of abnormal cells which are not yet cancerous. This precancerous state, in which the tissue in question exhibits an abnormal cellular appearance or function, is not yet harmful, but, if left alone, has the potential to progress to cancer.

Does dysplasia always lead to cancer?

Dysplasia does not always turn into cancer. In the esophagus, areas of dysplasia can be highly focal, with very small “islands” of dysplasia scattered throughout healthy tissue. This makes it very difficult to often identify using standard forceps biopsies.

The best way to stop dysplasia from progressing to cancer is to identify it and treat it. WATS3D.is a reliable diagnostic tool that can do exactly that, just like finding a needle in a haystack.

Are there different kinds of dysplasia?

low grade dyplasia graphic

Low-Grade Dysplasia

Low-grade dysplasia means:

  • Cells are beginning to look abnormal under a microscope.
  • Have only a few genetic mutations.
  • Harmless at this time, but should be monitored.
  • Have no mechanism to spread through the body.
high grade dyplasia graphic

High-Grade Dysplasia

High-grade dysplasia (HGD) means:

  • Cells have accumulated more genetic mutations.
  • More likely to lead to cancer if left untreated.



What is Barrett’s esophagus?

Barrett’s esophagus is a condition in which the esophageal lining changes, becoming similar to the tissue that lines the intestine. Barrett’s is a complication of GERD although most people with GERD don't get Barrett's esophagus.

Dysplasia can develop in any Barrett’s tissue, but it isn’t always present.  Barrett’s tissue is visible during an endoscopy, although a diagnosis by endoscopic appearance alone is not sufficient. The definitive diagnosis of Barrett’s esophagus requires biopsy confirmation.

WATS3D is done along with a traditional biopsy and is included in the new guidelines when physicians are looking for Barrett’s esophagus or monitoring a patient who already has been diagnosed with it.

Cancer Preemption vs Cancer Prevention

The truth is...preemption and prevention are really the same. But for some reason, when it comes to cancer, “prevention” is often thought about as being accomplished mainly through drastic lifestyle changes. Society seems to focus more on treatment after having cancer and being a survivor than the innovations of prevention. This is mainly due to the fact that cancer often seems insurmountable, sinister and deadly.

Cancer “preemption” is just a different way to think about prevention. It refers to stopping cancer before it even begins. Removing unhealthy, precancerous cells before the disease has a chance to progress to something more serious.

Preempting cancer can change the trajectory of the disease, from potentially invasive cancer—and even death—to not having cancer at all. Successfully preempting cancer means the patient typically does not require further treatment and will only undergo follow-up surveillance to make sure the unhealthy cells do not return.

WATS3D and preempting cancer

Using WATS3D, a proprietary diagnostic platform, healthcare professionals are adding esophageal cancer to the growing list of largely preventable cancers including cervical cancer and colon cancer, which prior to the modern Pap smear and colonoscopy had a high mortality rate due to the late detection of cancer rather than the early detection and removal of precancerous cells.)

The Pap smear, colonoscopy, and now WATS3D all preempt cancer by reliably detecting precancerous cells (dysplasia) so they can be removed before they become cancer.

See how CDx technology is helping preempt cancer.

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