Do Bruce Springsteen’s Stomach Ulcers Increase the Risk For Cancer?

A statement shared on the “Glory Days” singer’s Twitter page read, “Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band have postponed all performances currently scheduled for September 2023, beginning with tomorrow’s show scheduled for the JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse, NY.

“Mr. Springsteen is being treated for symptoms of peptic ulcer disease and the decision of his medical advisors is that he should postpone the remainder of his September shows.”

The social media post was also accompanied with an apology from the rockstar himself, with the musician saying, “Over here on E Street, we’re heartbroken to have to postpone these shows.

“First, apologies to our fabulous Philly fans who we missed a few weeks ago. We’ll be back to pick these shows up and then some. Thank you for your understanding and support.”

“We’ve been having a blast at our US shows and we’re looking forward to more great times. We’ll be back soon. Love and God bless all, Bruce,” his personal statement concluded.

(1/5) Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band have postponed all performances currently scheduled for September 2023, beginning with tomorrow's show scheduled for the JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse, N.Y. pic.twitter.com/jxCclJBQiK

— Bruce Springsteen (@springsteen) September 7, 2023

According to Variety, Springsteen’s announcement comes after he had to miss his August 16 and 18 shows in Philadelphia due to an undisclosed illness. He postponed those shows for August of next year.

Springsteen did, however, play three-hour long shows at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey between August 30 and September 3.

His next tour date is scheduled for November 3, in Canada, prompting the rest of his tour The Great White North and the west coast, until the tour is scheduled to conclude on December 12 in San Francisco.

Peptic Ulcer Disease & Stomach Cancer Risk

According to the National Library of Medicine, peptic ulcer disease (PUD) is characterized by discontinuation in the inner lining of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract due to gastric acid secretion or pepsin.

“It extends into the muscularis propria layer of the gastric epithelium. It usually occurs in the stomach and proximal duodenum. It may involve the lower esophagus, distal duodenum, or jejunum,” the biomedical library explains.

“Epigastric pain usually occurs within 15-30 minutes following a meal in patients with a gastric ulcer; on the other hand, the pain with a duodenal ulcer tends to occur 2-3 hours after a meal.”

To confirm whether or not a patient has this type of digestive disorder, an endoscopy (a procedure using a tiny camera to look inside the esophagus, stomach and part of the small intestine) may be needed to confirm whether a patient has PUD.

The library notes that patients with this disorder can manage it through “a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) based triple-drug therapy.”

PUD is commonly caused by an H. (Helicobacter) pylori infection, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and some medications.

Some rare causes of PUD, according to the National Library of Medicine, could be “Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, malignancy (gastric/lung cancer, lymphomas), stress (acute illness, burns, head injury), viral infection, vascular, insufficiency, radiation therapy, crohn disease, chemotherapy.

It’s important to note that other conditions may have symptoms similar to peptic ulcer disease.

Conditions or disease with similar symptoms could be gastritis, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), gastric cancer, pancreatitis, biliary colic, or cholecystitis.

Additionally, if Peptic ulcer disease (PUD) is not diagnosed and treated quickly, serious complications can arise, like upper gastrointestinal bleeding, gastric outlet obstruction, perforation, and gastric (stomach) cancer.

Oncology Nursing News explains how gastric ulcers are usually caused due a presence of helicobacter pylori bacteria. “The infection caused by H pylori is also linked to carcinoma or cancer. As a gastric ulcer is an open sore, bacteria can infect it easily. It causes mutations in the DNA and damages the cells of the stomach lining,” the nursing news outlet states.

“Long-standing inflammation can lead to chronic inflammation of the stomach and even stomach cancer. The damaged gastric tissue is replaced by intestinal or fibrous tissue naturally. This transformation is one of the first symptoms of stomach cancer as it increases the chances of its occurrence.”

Oncology Nursing News also points out that some factors can increase an ulcer’s chances of becoming stomach cancer.

Gastric cancer, also known as stomach cancer, is a type of cancer that develops within the stomach lining. This cancer can be aggressive and is often diagnosed in the late stages, making it more difficult to treat.

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“Individuals with gastric ulcer should be aware that drinking, smoking, or chewing tobacco can accelerate the chances of the ulcer turning into stomach cancer. They increase the production of stomach acids,” the health news outlet explains.

Diagnosing Stomach Cancer

To determine whether your symptoms are due to stomach cancer, your doctor may ask you questions about your family medical history, risk factors, conduct a physical exam to feel anything abnormal in your abdomen.

Your doctor may also run a blood test to check for a low red blood cell count (which could signify bleeding in the stomach), as well as check for blood in your stool, the National Cancer Institute explains.

To check for stomach cancer, doctors may perform an upper endoscopy with a biopsy, a series of x-rays of the esophagus and stomach (called barium swallow).

Other ways to check for this type of cancer is through a CT scan and biomarker testing, which seeks out genes, proteins, and other markers that can offer information about cancer.

Similar to PUD, stomach cancers are usually caused by a bacteria called helicobacter pylori or H. pylori, which has been found to increase the risk for cancer.

In an interview with MD Anderson Cancer Center, Dr. Patrick Lynch, a gastroenterologist in Internal Medicine, explained how H. pylori is common and has various strains.

Lynch said, “The whole process of stomach cancer risk associated with H. pylori is one of inflammation.

“With H. pylori, you have an infection, which causes inflammation, then healing, then more inflammation. Over time, this cycle of constant cell regeneration can result in mistakes that lead to cancer.”

He also pointed out, “There are no early signs of stomach cancer. If a patient is really paying attention to their body and sees their doctor as soon as symptoms do appear, there is a better chance of successfully treating the disease.”

Symptoms of stomach cancer may show up as:

• abdominal pain
• loss of appetite
• heartburn or indigestion
• nausea and vomiting
• abdomen bloating
• diarrhea or constipation
• feeling full despite not eating much
• bloody or black stools

Remember, having one of these symptoms doesn’t mean you have cancer. But it’s always a good idea to seek medical advice when something seems unusual with your body.

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Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff

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