04-16-2009, 08:40 PM
Yes, the voice of doom and gloom is going to be heard. My husband died of gastro-esophageal cancer, and it was an ugly way to go, even among various flavors of the ugly cancers. If your doctor so much as suspects reflux is causing this, make sure s/he orders an upper endoscopy. My husband's doctor spent years telling him to raise the head of his bed, watch his diet, don't eat too close to bedtime, and all of the other bits of advice that are good. However, they were inadequate. I know of several other people who had endoscopys early on, right after their doctors suspected acid reflux. The outcomes dictate how closely they're monitored. So far, none of the others have developed cancer. Too often, this type of cancer goes undiagnosed until it has become stage IV, with metastasis, and then it's too late. My husband lived less than six months after the initial diagnosis, and that period of time included aggressive treatment. This is one of the harder types of cancer to identify until it's too late, so the patient has to make sure the doctor is taking the proper steps.