The American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy recommends providers encourage chronic heartburn patients to think differently about their disease and recognize its potential effects.
Here's what you should know:
1. Many chronic heartburn sufferers view the condition as a daily inconvenience, however, ASGE said the changes in the cell lining of the esophagus could cause esophageal cancer.
2. Patients on heartburn medicine are at risk of developing cancer.
3. ASGE encourages patients to go to gastroenterologists as part of a new campaign to raise awareness about the deadly progression of chronic heartburn.
4. ASGE President Steven Edmundowicz, MD, said, "Esophageal cancer can develop in patients with longstanding chronic heartburn. It is one of the fastest-growing cancers in the U.S. and one of the most rapidly growing causes of cancer deaths in the world. Due to recent advances in endoscopy and specialized testing, esophageal cancer can be prevented."
For more information on the campaign, click here.