There has been concerns regarding the safety of long-time gastric acid suppression. I think our large study clearly suggests that long-time gastric acid suppression does not increase the risk, on a population-based level, of neither oesophageal nor gastric adenocarcinoma.

The positive association between long-time gastric acid suppression and these tumours was what we expected to find, and is in line with previous findings. Some previous researchers have interpreted this as a harmful effect of the acid suppression, and that these drugs could increase the risk of oesophageal or gastric adenocarcinoma. Our study could, for the first time, show that the association most readily is explained by the underlying indication for the drug use being a strong risk factor for the cancer rather than an independent harmful effect of these agents per se.

Clinically, these findings should add further evidence that long-term gastric acid suppression is safe regarding development of oesophageal and gastric adenocarcinoma.