Reflux disease may pose bigger risk of esophageal cancer

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

A new study suggests that gastroesophageal reflux disease may be linked to a bigger risk of cancer than previously thought.
In gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), stomach acid passes backwards into the esophagus, causing changes in its lining that can predispose to cancer. A team at the University of Southern California now reveals that the link between GERD and cancer may be more complex than previously thought.

The changes in the esophageal lining are called Barrett's mucosa. Two kinds of cancer arise in the area where the esophagus meets the stomach - one linked with Barrett's mucosa, one apparently not. The second type of tumor has a poorer prognosis.

However, this study may force a re-think. Analysis of the two tumor types now suggests that the deadlier one may be a more advanced version of the one that is linked with Barrett's mucosa and, therefore, it is linked with GERD after all. This means that GERD may cause twice as many cancers as previously thought - making its treatment an even more urgent priority.

Source
Archives of Surgery June 2005 Volume 140 pages 570-575