Letter To The Editor...September 2006

Former Governor Ann Richards of Texas recently died due to cancer of the esophagus. In 1970 under 1000 cases of esophageal adenocarcinoma were reported. In 2006 about 15,000 will be diagnosed. This is our fastest-growing cancer. The occurrence rate is doubling every 5 years. Overall survival is 10-15%. In an article on August 24, 2004, The Wall Street Journal reported on the “epidemic” of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and “a dangerous precancerous condition known as Barrett’s esophagus”. They state, “GERD is on the rise...There’s been this trivialization of GERD—that it’s just heartburn. If in another 5 or ten years this cancer rate continues to rise, people are going to look back and rue the day that we’ve been undertreating all these patients.” Many cases of cancer of the esophagus are associated with heartburn. DON’T IGNORE HEARTBURN, it can kill you.
The real problem is the long standing, repeated exposure of the esophagus to caustic digestive juices from the stomach, i.e. GERD. The University of Virginia School of Medicine reports, “conditions associated with GERD include chronic cough, bronchitis, recurrent pneumonia, hiccups, pharyngitis, sinusitis, otitis media,…asthma”. This is called “atypical presentation”. In these cases gastrointestinal symptoms may be “silent”.
Because of personal issues I have studied GERD intently for over 6 years. I have tried to educate anyone who will listen about this ticking time bomb. I try to make sense of this at my web site WWW.DRKURTBARRETT.COM . It is free to browse.
Kurt A Barrett DO
Family Practice
Athens, Michigan