Adults with frequent heartburn may be at risk for throat cancer

People who suffer from frequent heartburn, including Nexium users, should be aware of recent research that indicates people with persistent heartburn are likely to be at risk for throat and vocal cord cancers. Awareness of studies such as this can motivate people to treat their reflux with medications as well as lifestyle and diet changes.

The study, published in the June 2013 edition of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention and conducted by researchers at Brown University, was an analysis of 631 patients with laryngopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC), 468 individuals with throat cancer and 163 particpants with vocal cord cancer, as well as 1,234 controls. The participants were tested for HPV 16 - known to cause some neck and head cancers - and reported their family histories of cancer, socio?-demographic information, smoking and drinking habits and heartburn histories.

Results showed that even among individuals who were not heavy drinkers or smokers - two known risk factors for larynx and pharynx cancers - the risk increased 78 percent if the individual had a history of frequent heartburn. According to Scott M. Langevin, a postdoctoral research fellow at Brown and co-author of the study, previous research had mixed results, but this information can help identify patients who are most at risk for throat and vocal cord cancers.

Preventing reflux
Gastric reflux causes heartburn, but there are many ways to reduce reflux. If someone is having heartburn or is diagnosed with GERD, he or she can take a medication such as Nexium to block acid production and allow the throat to heal. Other changes to limit acid reflux include avoiding acidic foods, (like tomatoes and coffee) foods with a high fat contact (such as pizza, chocolate and pork) and minty or spicy foods. Stress can also contribute to acid reflux, so meditating or finding other ways to reduce stress can help.