Chronic heartburn can lead to severe complications, including esophageal cancer. Numbers for both are on the rise. An
AP story tells the "what" but not the "why" behind these stats:
Hospitalizations for all reflux-caused esophageal disorders doubled
between 1998 and 2005, says a sobering new count by the U.S. Agency for
Healthcare Research and Quality.
And over the past two decades, esophageal cancer has risen six-fold.
About 16,470 Americans will be diagnosed with it this year, according
to the American Cancer Society. Fewer than one in five survives five years, and 14,280 are predicted to die this year.
