Kim Kardashian Reveals Esophagitis Diagnosis in New Trailer

By Sandra Rhodes (/journals/sandra-rhodes)

Reality star Kim Kardashian is dealing with a new health diagnosis.

In a new trailer for "The Kardashians,"  Kardashian revealed she has esophagitis. This is an inflammation of the esophagus.

Her father, Robert Kardashian Sr., died of esophageal cancer in 2003. He was 59.

In the episode, Kardashian is on a hospital bed as someone off camera asks, "Didn’t your father ... isn’t it what he died of?"

Kardashian’s manager and mother, Kris Jenner, responds with, "I can’t. It makes me want to cry."

Experts have said the two conditions are not the same.

Kim Kardashian's diagnosis, esophagitis, is an inflammation of the esophagus, the muscular tube that carries food from the throat to the stomach. It is most commonly caused by acid reflux, certain medications, infections or allergies, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).

Esophageal cancer occurs when malignant cells form in the tissues lining the esophagus, according to the National Cancer Institute. There are two main types: squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma.

Esophagitis itself does not directly cause cancer. However, the chronic inflammation can in some cases lead to Barrett's esophagus, a precancerous condition that can increase the higher risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma. This risk is higher among those with ongoing acid reflux (GERD).

In 2025, Kardashian revealed her doctors discovered a small, unruptured brain aneurysm during an MRI scan.

"They’re like, 'It’s been there for, like, years. It was here a few years ago,’" she said.