NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – The rising incidence of throat cancer, also referred to as cancer of the oesophagus or oesophageal adenocarcinoma, may be related to Americans' increasing intake of total and refined carbohydrates and subsequent rise in obesity rates.

"The similarity in these trends gives further evidence for the association of carbohydrate intake, obesity, and related measures with cancer," Dr. Cheryl L. Thompson told Reuters Health.

She and colleagues caution, however, that such observations do not necessarily reflect individual risk for oesophageal adenocarcinoma.

The researchers, all associated with Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals of Cleveland, in Ohio, compared National Cancer Institute data for oesophageal adenocarcinoma (1973-2001) and food consumption information from the National Nutrient Data Bank (1909-1997).

The incidence of oesophageal adenocarcinoma increased over the review period and "strongly correlated" with carbohydrate consumption. This cancer is also known to be strongly associated with gastroesophageal reflux (GERD), which, in turn, associated with obesity and a high carbohydrate intake, the investigators report in the American Journal of Gastroenterology.