Kim Kardashian Reveals Esophagitis Diagnosis, Echoing Father's Cancer Death
The reality star shared her diagnosis in a trailer for 'The Kardashians,' drawing a connection to her father's fatal battle with esophageal cancer.
Kim Kardashian has announced she has been diagnosed with esophagitis, a condition linked to esophageal cancer, which her father died from in 2003. The revelation was made in the trailer for the upcoming Season 8 of "The Kardashians."
In a clip from the trailer, Kardashian, 45, states, "I have something called esophagitis." The scene then shifts to her in a hospital gown, lying in a hospital bed. An off-screen voice asks if that is what her father died of, to which Kardashian replies, "Yeah."
Her mother, Kris Jenner, 70, appears in an emotional confessional in the trailer, stating, "I can't... it makes me want to cry."
Kim's father, attorney Robert Kardashian, passed away in 2003 at the age of 59, just eight weeks after his diagnosis with esophageal cancer. However, medical experts note that the overall risk of developing cancer from esophagitis is low, and most cases are not genetically inherited.
According to the Mayo Clinic, "most cases of esophageal cancer are not clearly linked to a gene passed down in families."
In 2019, the Kardashian family honored Robert Kardashian by announcing the establishment of the Robert G. Kardashian Center for Esophageal Health at UCLA. Kim Kardashian shared the news via social media at the time, expressing hope for increased awareness and prevention.
This health update follows Kardashian's previous revelation during the premiere of "The Kardashians" last season that doctors had discovered a small brain aneurysm during an MRI scan. At the time, she attributed the potential cause to stress, linking it to her divorce from Kanye West. She later updated fans on "Good Morning America," stating that further medical examinations confirmed that "everything works out."