IN a new study, researchers found evidence of a link between GERD and cancers of the larynx and esophagus. The study, which appears in the journal Cancer, adds to an existing body of evidence.
The researchers hope that, if their results are confirmed, they might “inform clinical surveillance of GERD patients and suggest new avenues for prevention of these malignancies.”
GERD is a type of chronic gastrointestinal disease that causes the contents of the stomach to rise into the esophagus.
Researchers estimate that GERD affects 18.1% to 27.8% of people in the U.S.
People with GERD may experience heartburn or regurgitation, as well as chest pains, nausea, trouble swallowing, or a persistent cough.
GERD occurs when a person’s lower esophageal sphincter weakens or relaxes at the wrong times.
Having overweight or obesity, being pregnant, and smoking are each risk factors for GERD.
Researchers have linked GERD to laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC), a type of cancer of the aerodigestive tract.
This part of the body includes the organs and tissues of the respiratory tract and upper digestive tract.
They explain that “Most previous studies have been limited by size, study design, or insufficient control for important potential confounders, [such as] tobacco use and alcohol consumption, limiting the strength of the inference.”
In addition, no studies had investigated the possible link between GERD and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), another aerodigestive tract cancer.
To address this, the researchers conducted a prospective study, drawing on data from the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study, which began in 1990s, with questionnaires sent to members of the American Association of Retired Persons, or AARP.
The participants were aged 50–71 years and located throughout the U.S. The researchers made use of the responses from 490,605 participants, 92.6% of whom identified as non-Hispanic white.
The questionnaire asked about various risk factors related to GERD, such as alcohol consumption, tobacco use, diet, body shape, and medical issues.
The researchers then cross-checked this data with data from Medicare claims related to GERD.
