Carbohydrate consumption of Americans has increased over the years and so has the incidence of esophageal cancer. Esophageal adenocarcinoma rose from 2,500 cases per year back in 1973 to nearly 15,000 cases per year in 2001.The study reported by Vijay S. Khiani M.D., of Case Western Reserve in Cleveland, was presented at the American College of Gastroenterology meeting. The investigators found an association between the rising incidence of esophageal cancer in the United States and the increase in U.S. per-capita carbohydrate consumption over the past three decades.

Although the data could not prove a causal link, Dr Khiani noted that a carbohydrate-heavy diet can lead to obesity, which in turn can lead to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). This disease has been linked to a greater likelihood for developing Barrett’s esophagus, a precursor to lower-esophageal cancer.

Dr. Khiani stressed that the study does not support total carbohydrate avoidance, a strategy promoted by some fad diets. The investigators concluded, “This ecological study provides evidence for the hypothesis that excess carbohydrate intake in the U.S. population may partially account for the increased trend of incidence rates of adenocarcinoma of the esophagus. It is possible that obesity resulting from excess carbohydrate intake many be an intermediate link”.

Studies exist that link acid-reflux conditions to cancer of the larynx — or voice box — but authors of a new study say they all suffer shortcomings in methodology.

The new study, published in the American Journal of Medicine, was intended to make up for these shortcomings by comparing 96 men and women with laryngeal cancer to a group of adults without the disease. All participants were matched by age, gender, and ethnicity — three of the most important risk factors for this cancer. Overall, the study found people with GERD — gastroesophageal reflux disease — were twice as likely to develop laryngeal cancer, compared to those without the condition. GERD has long been considered a possible risk factor for this cancer, mostly because GERD is common among people with the cancer. More definitive studies are on the horizon.

GERD, which occurs when the muscle of the bottom of the esophagus fails to close properly, allowing stomach acids to leak into the esophagus, is also linked to esophageal cancer.