Kim Kardashian's esophagitis diagnosis raises concerns over dad's death

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In a Sept. 17 trailer for Season 8 of "The Kardashians," the Skims founder, 45, is diagnosed with esophagitis. The condition involves inflammation of the esophagus, according to the Mayo Clinic .

The trailer, which did not detail the severity of Kardashian's diagnosis, shows that the diagnosis prompted concern from friends and family. Kim's late father, Robert Kardashian, died at age 59 in 2003 after battling esophageal cancer, a condition distinct from esophagitis.

"I have something called esophagitism," she said in the teaser while getting her hair done. The trailer then shows the reality TV star in a hospital bed undergoing a medical examination, while an off-camera voice asks: "Didn't your father… isn't it what he died of?"

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"I can't, it makes me want to cry," Kris Jenner said as she reacts to her daughter's diagnosis.

Robert Kardashian and Jenner welcomed Kim in 1980, as well as Kourtney, 47, Khloé, 42, and Rob Jr., 39. Robert Kardashian Sr. was an attorney and businessman best known for representing former NFL player O.J. Simpson during his highly publicized murder trial.

According to the Mayo Clinic, esophagitis is a "swelling and irritation, called inflammation, of the tissues that line the esophagus. The esophagus is the muscular tube that carries food and drink from the mouth to the stomach.

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The inflammation can make swallowing difficult or painful and can also cause chest pain, the clinic says. Esophagitis can be caused by several factors, including stomach acid backing up into the esophagus, infection, allergies, and oral medications.

Treatment varies depending on its cause and the severity of tissue damage in the esophagus.

As the esophagus struggles to move food and liquid from the mouth to the stomach, the condition can cause dehydration, unhealthy weight loss, scarring or narrowing of the esophagus, or other serious health concerns, according to the Mayo Clinic.

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Esophageal cancer is when cancerous cells in the esophagus multiply and create tumors.

According to the Cleveland Clinic , symptoms of esophageal cancer are not always present in the early stages. When they do occur, symptoms can include difficulty swallowing, weight loss, heartburn, and hoarseness.

Other symptoms include heartburn, chest pain, vomiting, coughing up blood, or pain in the throat, back, behind the breastbone, or between the shoulder blades.

The Cleveland Clinic states there are two types of esophageal cancer, including the more common in the United States, adenocarcinoma, which develops in tissue that makes mucus to help people swallow and typically impacts the lower part of the esophagus.

The other is squamous cell carcinoma, which starts in the squamous cells that line the esophagus and affects the upper and middle parts of the esophagus, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

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