Shedding some light on the etiology of adenocarcinomas of the esophagus and gastric cardia.

Abstract

Environmental and behavioral factors likely have large roles in the etiology of adenocarcinomas of the esophagus and gastroesophageal junction. Prior ecological analyses suggest a protective effect of exposure to UV radiation for these cancers. But such analyses are prone to particular forms of bias. In this issue of The American Journal of Gastroenterology, new individual-level data is presented supporting such an association. Presumably, this is mediated by vitamin D, but definitive evidence is lacking. Supplementation with vitamin D aimed at preventing these cancers cannot be recommended at this time. More study regarding the role of vitamin D in Barrett's esophagus and these cancers are needed.