Heartburn is caused by the backflow of gastric acid into the esophagus and is a symptom of GERD, the acronym for gastroesophageal reflux disease. It has long been associated with an increase in esophageal cancers, but its link to other head and neck cancers has been less clear. More from Prevention: What is GERD? Research published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention seeks to clarify the link between gastric reflux and cancers of the pharynx (throat) and larynx (vocal cord) by asking 631 individuals with head and neck cancer and 1,234 in a control group to complete detailed questionnaires. Participants answered questions about their history of heartburn, smoking and drinking habits, family history of cancer and sociodemographic information. They were also tested for HPV, a known risk factor for head and neck cancers. Those who were neither heavy smokers nor heavy drinkers, but had a history of frequent heartburn was linked to a 78% increased risk for cancers of the throat and vocal cords. A unique facet of this study, says Scott M. Langevin, PhD, the lead researcher and postdoctoral research fellow at Brown University, was that the participants were also asked what, if anything, they were taking to mitigate the effects of their heartburn. According to the data, people who were taking over-the-counter antacids got fewer cancers of the head and neck than people who took either prescription medications or tried other home remedies. Dr. Langevin speculates that may be because people who are on prescription medications for heartburn tend to have the worst cases that do the most damage. For those who have less-severe cases, even basic treatment to alleviate reflux is better than none. “From a research point of view, we don’t want to say anything too definitive; we just do the studies and present the findings,” says Dr. Langevin. “So, while evidence of the protective effect of antacids was fairly robust, we’d like to see further study done on this topic.” The take home message, he says, is that if you have a history of reflux it can increase your risk of getting these cancers by nearly 80%. Working with your health care provider to more aggressively alleviate your symptoms may lower that risk significantly. More from Prevention: Is It Heartburn or GERD?
