Does gastroesophageal reflux disease increase the risk of laryngeal cancer or esophageal squamous cell carcinoma?

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a common condition where stomach acid flows back into the esophagus. You are asking whether GERD raises the risk of two specific cancers: laryngeal cancer (voice box) and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (a type of esophageal cancer). A large meta-analysis from 2025 provides a clear answer: GERD is linked to a higher risk of laryngeal cancer, but not to esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

What the research says

A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis pooled data from 17 studies involving nearly 1.8 million people to examine the link between GERD and upper aerodigestive tract cancers, excluding esophageal adenocarcinoma (which is already known to be linked to GERD) ⁴⁹. The analysis found that people with GERD had a 65% higher risk of developing laryngeal cancer compared to those without GERD (relative risk 1.65, 95% CI 1.19-2.31) ⁴⁹. This association was stronger in studies from the United States and in those that used medical codes to define GERD ⁴⁹. However, the same meta-analysis found no significant association between GERD and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, nor with cancers of the pharynx, oropharynx, or hypopharynx ⁴⁹. The other sources you provided focus on treatments for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (such as neoadjuvant chemoradiation, chemoimmunotherapy, and radiotherapy) and diagnostic tools, and do not address the risk from GERD ^1235678.

What to ask your doctor

• Given my GERD diagnosis, what is my personal risk for laryngeal cancer?
• Should I have any screening tests for laryngeal cancer?
• What symptoms of laryngeal cancer should I watch for?
• How can I best manage my GERD to potentially reduce cancer risk?
• Are there any other risk factors I should be aware of for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma?