Does Nonerosive Reflux Increase the Risk of Esophageal Cancer?

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From Gastroenterology and Endoscopy News (12/20/23): Nonerosive GERD Did Not Increase Esophageal Ca Risk in Nordic Nations

An excerpt:

Patients diagnosed with nonerosive gastroesophageal reflux disease did not have a higher incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma than the general population in a new study published in the BMJ.

This extensive population-based cohort study leveraged data spanning over three decades from national healthcare registries in Denmark, Finland and Sweden, known for their broad scope and high quality…

The incidence rate of EAC [esophageal adenocarcinoma] among 285,811 patients with nonerosive GERD (no esophagitis, Barrett’s esophagus or other esophageal condition), was 11.0 per 100,000 person-years, similar to that of the general population (BMJ 2023;382:e076017). Moreover, the rate remained stable regardless of the length of follow-up…

Harish K. Gagneja, MD, FACG, AGAF, FASGE, who was not involved in the research, commented that “patients with nonerosive GERD don’t require additional follow-up endoscopies unless they have alarm symptoms such as dysphagia, weight loss or anemia, etc.”…

The findings will need to be confirmed in well-designed studies from other countries. But the large sample size, population-based design, substantial duration of follow-up and inclusion of a contrasting erosive GERD cohort for validation are just some of the study’s strengths, supporting the validity of its findings.

My take: This study indicates that nonerosive reflux was not associated with an increased risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma.

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