GERD and esophageal cancer
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People who suffer from GERD -- gastroesophageal reflux disease -- have enough to worry about, from the threat that the next meal may trigger a painful flare-up to uncertainty about whether insurance will cover their meds. So it's nice for many of us to be able to move one worry -- and a pretty big one, at that -- toward the bottom of the list.
New research out of the University of Michigan shows that, contrary to what's been believed, GERD is not strongly linked to the development of esophageal cancer, at least not for many of the millions of Americans who suffer from the ailment.
A study published last week in the American Journal of Gastroenterology estimates that, among white non-Hispanic Americans, women with GERD symptoms very rarely go on to develop cancer of the esophagus. Same goes for men under age 50, who are at far greater risk of getting colon cancer than esophageal cancer.
Men over age 60, though, are at much greater risk, but the risk of colorectal cancer still is much higher.
GERD involves the rise of stomach acid and juices into the esophagus; it occurs when the lower esophageal sphincter is too weak to seal the stomach off from the esophagus. The prolonged exposure to stomach acid irritates the lining of the esophagus, causing symptoms that range from heartburn and a bitter taste in the mouth to a dull chest pain that can mimic the feeling associated with heart attack. While most people have occasional heartburn, those who experience it twice a week or more frequently are said to have GERD. The condition usually can be managed with lifestyle and diet changes and medication.
In some cases, GERD causes changes to the esophagus lining that can be precancerous. An upper endoscopy can detect such changes. But the new study suggests that white men age 60 and older who experience GERD symptoms weekly "might warrant screening [for esophageal cancer] if that practice is particularly accurate, safe, effective, and inexpensive."Correction: The original version of this blog entry featured an inaccurate headline stating that the link between GERD and esophageal cancer is not strong. That headline is amended here.
Also, the blog neglected to explain that the study it reported on involved the need to screen for esophageal cancer among certain populations of people with GERD. The study did not investigate the biological connection between GERD and esophageal cancer.
I'll be revisiting this issue in The Checkup on Monday, Dec. 20.
Jennifer LaRue Huget
| December 14, 2010; 7:00 AM ET
Categories: Cancer, Chronic Conditions, Obesity, Pregnancy, Women's Health
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