Most People With GERD Don’t Have Increased Esophageal Cancer Risk

There’s good news for the 60% to 70% of people with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) who have the nonerosive form of the condition. The chance of developing esophageal cancer is not elevated for people with nonerosive GERD compared with the general population, according to a study involving nearly half a million adults in Scandinavia with reflux disease.

Rather, people with reflux disease who also had changes in their esophageal mucosa—known as erosive reflux disease and defined by esophageal inflammation—experienced about a 2.4-times higher risk of esophageal cancer than those with nonerosive reflux disease.

Additional endoscopic monitoring to keep track of mucosal anomalies that could progress to esophageal cancer might not be necessary for patients with endoscopy-confirmed nonerosive GERD, the researchers noted in The BMJ.

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Published Online: September 27, 2023. doi:10.1001/jama.2023.18744

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