Can Acid Reflux Cause Cancer?

The Courier Mail, an Australian Newspaper, reported  that there had been a dramatic increase in oesophageal cancers in the last 25 years caused  partly by acid reflux disease.

Dr David Whiteman, of the Queensland Institute of Medical Research, said that one of the factors also appeared to be smoking.

The longer people had stopped smoking the less likely they had of getting the disease.

There were three sub-types of cancers affecting the oesophageas: adencarcinoma (affects the lower section), oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma ( middle section) , and gastro-esophageal (junction adenocarcinoma ).

The last has one of the worst survival rates of all types of cancers because it is not usually detected until the advanced stages.

Adenocarcinoma rates have risen five times in the last 25 years and 1200 Australians were affected by all oesophageal cancers each year.

Dr Whiteman said," It's highly unusual for cancers to change their incidence so rapidly within the space of one generation. They are still not common cancers but they have come from being rare to being not rare at all, and being increasingly common.

Obesity, heartburn and smoking were the major risk factors for these cancers, but smoking played a different role in each of the sub-types. The risk of squamous cell and gastro-oesophagael junction cancers inccreased the more people smoked and the longer they smoked, while adencarcinoma was only affected by how long people smoked.

David Whiteman said," It's quite concerning because it only takes a small amount of cigarette smoke, it appears, for these cancers to be significantly increased in risk, which is very unusual."

The good news is that it is never too late to quit. Results showed that for every 10 years that people permanently ceased smoking, they could reduce their risk by almost 20 per cent for all oesophageal cancers.

Dr Whiteman said that people could reduce their risk by losing weight, using medication to prevent reflux, and quitting smoking.

By Golly! There is not much good news there for an obese man suffering from acid reflux despite medication right at this minute. The fact that I quit smoking thirty years ago does not give me much cheer.

The lesson, I think, is that no matter what the reasons your doctor has been telling you to lose weight, here's another one!

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