How Can GERD Cause Esophageal Cancer?
GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) is a condition that affects many people across America, causing regular heartburn and difficulty consuming many trigger foods without painful reflux. In this post, we will take a look at some of the causes of esophageal cancer, esophageal cancer symptoms, and take a look at why it’s so difficult to answer a common question we hear at the Tampa Bay Reflux Center: how long does it take for acid reflux to cause cancer.
What Happens if GERD Goes Untreated?
Unfortunately, there are also some very real and dangerous consequences to avoiding long-term treatment for this condition. If you don’t treat the underlying cause of your condition (a weakened lower esophageal sphincter or LES), you run the risk of developing any of the following complications:
Magnesium deficiency
Calcium deficiency
Bone mass loss
Malnutrition
Clostridium difficile infection
Pulmonary fibrosis
Esophageal cancer
Causes of Esophageal Cancer: Why Does GERD Cause Cancer?
Layers of the Esophagus and Reflux’s Effects on Them
First of all, let’s take a look at the type of cells that make up the esophagus. According to the American Cancer Society, there are four layers of tissue that make up the esophagus, one of which has three linings. The first lining of the innermost layer (the mucosa) of the esophagus is made up of rapidly dividing squamous epithelial tissue - the same cells that our skin is made of. This layer is where most esophageal cancer starts.
Based on simple statistics, epithelial tissue will always develop cancer before other tissue types, simply because it is replaced more frequently. However, GERD complicates this further by introducing another mechanism: cell destruction.
Squamous Cell Carcinoma
When reflux into the esophagus occurs, a wave of low pH (high acidity) stomach acid and the enzyme pepsin enters into a location where it doesn’t belong. The innermost cells of the esophagus are designed to be replaced - as mentioned above - due, mostly, to the friction created by food passing through the long tube. However, when acidic stomach contents reflux into the esophagus, the rate at which cells turnover is greatly increased.
Cancers that start this way are called squamous cell carcinoma. Furthermore, the destruction of esophageal cells can, in extreme cases, extend into deeper layers of the esophagus.
Adenocarcinoma
Another common cause of esophageal cancer involves the glandular cells of the esophagus, found in the submucosa (the layer found underneath the mucosa). This type of cancer can develop as a result of Barrett's esophagus - a complication of GERD mentioned above - and is called adenocarcinoma.
How Long Does it Take for Acid Reflux to Cause Cancer?
This question is nearly impossible to answer and will depend on many factors, including how well a patient’s immune system functions, how bad their reflux symptoms are, and what kinds of medications they take to help with their symptoms. Furthermore, developing cancer can be triggered by other environmental factors. These other causes of esophageal cancer include smoking and drinking alcohol. As expected, these comorbidities will contribute to and likely reduce the timeline for which esophageal cancer develops.
Esophageal Cancer Symptoms
The symptoms of esophageal cancer can vary depending on where the cancer is located and how large it is; however, these are some common esophageal cancer symptoms. If you notice a combination of (or all of) these symptoms, reach out to your doctor immediately.
Trouble swallowing
Chest pain and heartburn or persistent heartburn that suddenly ceases
Persistent cough and hoarseness
Indigestion and unintentional weight loss
Eliminating the Risk: Reflux Surgeries in Tampa Bay
This information is all a bit overwhelming, and certainly quite bleak - esophageal cancer can kill you, after all. However, knowing that there is something you can do to significantly reduce your risk of developing esophageal cancer (due to GERD) can help quite a bit. Here at the Tampa Bay Reflux Center, we offer several reflux surgeries that can eliminate GERD from your list of woes. Contac the team here at the Tampa Bay Reflux Center for more information, to get a diagnosis, or to schedule an appointment.